Abstract
In this paper, we review epidemiological studies on the relationship between neighborhood asbestos exposure and risk of asbestos-related diseases. In other countries, several studies found that the risk of developing mesothelioma increased among the residents who lived near asbestos manufacturing plants in the U.K., U.S.A. and Italy and an asbestos mine in Australia. In Japan, some studies suggest that the risk of developing mesothelioma increased among the residents who lived near plants of two major asbestos companies. We also report the researches on the residents who lived near many small-scale asbestos plants.
