Asbestos-Related Diseases in a Population Near a Fibrous Cement Factory

Abstract

Background and Objective The first fibrous cement factory in Spain was set up in Cerdanyola, Barcelona, in 1907 and was a source of pollution there until it was closed in 1997. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of the population with asbestos-related diseases who had worked in the factory and/or lived in the vicinity. Material and Methods We retrospectively collected information available on patients with asbestos-related diseases who at the time of diagnosis had resided in the area near the fibrous cement factory. Information was obtained from the medical records of the primary care centers of the 12 surrounding towns and the sole referral hospital in the area for cases diagnosed between January 1, 1970 and December 31, 2006. Results In the 559 patients diagnosed, 1107 cases of asbestos-related diseases were identified. Between 2000 and 2006, the average annual incidence was 9.5 cases per 100 000 inhabitants for the entire study area and 35.5 cases per 100 000 for the area nearest the factory. The prevalence of asbestos-related diseases as of December 31, 2006 was 91 cases per 100 000 inhabitants in the entire study area and 353.4 cases per 100 000 in the area nearest the factory. Of the 1107 asbestos-related disease cases identified, 86.5% were benign and 8.4% pleural mesothelioma. Conclusions The factory introduced an important area-wide risk factor for asbestos-related diseases for both workers and the nearby population. The number of cases detected annually showed an upward trend and the incidence of asbestos-related diseases was extremely high.