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Exposure science can increase protection of workers and their families from exposure to asbestos and inform on the effects of other elongate mineral particles

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 20, pages 485–486 (2010)Cite this article

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Exposure science is fundamental to refining our scientific understanding about the health effects arising from asbestos and other elongate mineral particles, as well as helping improve our public health protection and regulatory efforts to safeguard workers, their families, and community residents.

Even though asbestos no longer commands as much scientific attention as it once did, the public health burden from exposure continues. In fact, despite the facts that asbestos is no longer mined in the United States and imports are less than 3% of the peak in 1973, years of potential life lost (YPLL) due to asbestosis as a result of prior exposures are still increasing, from an average of 146.0 YPLL per year in 1968–1972 to 239.6 per year during 2001–2005 (CDC, 2008). Moreover, even though the number of deaths from all other forms of pneumoconiosis decreased from 1968 to 2000, asbestosis deaths increased from 77 deaths in 1968 (annual age-adjusted death rate: 0.54 per million population) to 1,493 deaths in 2000 (6.88 per million) (CDC, 2004). Because of reduced use of, and exposures to, asbestos in the United States since the 1970s, the incidence of new asbestosis cases may be at a peak.

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  1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC, USA

    John Howard & Paul Middendorf

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  1. John Howard
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  2. Paul Middendorf
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Correspondence to Paul Middendorf.

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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

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Howard, J., Middendorf, P. Exposure science can increase protection of workers and their families from exposure to asbestos and inform on the effects of other elongate mineral particles. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 20, 485–486 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2010.40

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