Abstract
Although asbestos has been used in a wide range of materials, mainly in building materials and heat insulators, it is known to cause health hazards such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. These health hazards have been considered to develop among workers who are exposed to high concentrations of asbestos. Recently, some studies have shown that non-occupational exposure to asbestos also causes such health hazards. In Japan, an excess risk of mesothelioma has been observed among residents near a former asbestos plant. It is also predicted that there will be excess risk of future mesothelioma cases due to environmental asbestos exposure. Increasing trends of mesothelioma from non-occupational and household exposure to asbestos have also been reported in Australia, Korea, and Italy. There is concern about the risk of environmental exposure to asbestos in the US from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers that happened on 11 September 2001. It is expected that dispersion of asbestos from the destruction of these buildings is properly being mitigated and health hazards from asbestos exposure are being prevented.
