Asbestos and anti-asbestos activism: medical, economical and political aspects

Potential health damage due to asbestos exposure has been evaluated using information from the mid-20th century and earlier, when exposures of workers and residents were greater. A linear no-threshold model has been applied, although its relevance is unproven. The fibers get into the air due to erosion of surface deposits and industries unrelated to asbestos. If looked for, the fibers are often found postmortem. The research is associated with bias: attributing malignancy to asbestos when fibers are found, although causality remains unproven. A history of professional exposure does not necessarily prove a cause-effect relationship. Asbestos bans weaken defenses, enhance damage from fires, terrorism and armed conflicts. Potential toxicity of serpentine and amphibole asbestos is analyzed here. Many animal experiments indicate similar levels of toxicity, while epidemiological studies of humans witness in favor of higher toxicity of amphiboles. This can be partly attributed to a bias in the latter study type. Epidemiological research in humans will not provide much information on low-dose impact. Reliable results can be obtained in large-scale lifelong bioassays with inhalation of fibers comparable to professional exposures.