Abstract
What is already known on this topic?Asbestos is classified as a Class I Carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) because exposure causes mesothelioma and lung cancer in addition to asbestosis and plaques. So far, asbestos has been banned in 67 countries, but chrysotile, a commonly encountered form of asbestos, is still widely used in China and most developing countries. Most asbestos-caused cancers are not reported, recorded, and compensated in many countries.What is added by this report?Enterprises manufacturing asbestos products have been migrating from economically developed Eastern China to relatively underdeveloped central and western regions between 2010 and 2019. Asbestosis cases reported in Tianjin, Beijing, Shandong, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, and Sichuan accounted for a large proportion of the total cases in China, which was inconsistent with the distribution of asbestos-related enterprises (AREs). The reported asbestosis cases versus total pneumoconiosis cases declined from 2.81% to 0.39% from 2006–2017, and this proportion reached 0.69% in 2018.What are the implications for public health practice?Robust occupational and environmental health assessments and reporting are needed to define the epidemiology of asbestos-related lung diseases, and management of using asbestos and existing products containing asbestos need strengthening and follow-up. Enterprises should be encouraged to use safer substitutes and gradually ban asbestos materials in China.
Highlights
Robust occupational and environmental health assessments and reporting are needed to define the epidemiology of asbestos-related lung diseases
In 2010, asbestos-related enterprises (AREs) were mainly concentrated in the coastal areas of Eastern China and a few central regions with 188,739 employees in all at an average of 117 per enterprise
AREs in Eastern China decreased by 10.9% when compared to 2010, while the number in Western China increased by 269.8%, approximately 3.7 times as much as in 2010
Summary
Asbestos has been banned in 67 countries, but chrysotile, a commonly encountered form of asbestos, is still widely used in China and most developing countries. Robust occupational and environmental health assessments and reporting are needed to define the epidemiology of asbestos-related lung diseases, and management of using asbestos and existing products containing asbestos need strengthening and follow-up. Robust occupational and environmental health assessments and reporting are needed to define the epidemiology of asbestos-related lung diseases. Asbestos is completely banned in 67 countries, including the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Japan [8], but chrysotile, a commonly encountered form of asbestos, is still widely used in China and most developing countries.
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