Asbestos Air Pollution: Description of a Mesothelioma Cluster Due to Residential Exposure from an Asbestos Cement Factory

Abstract

The study describes a cluster of 71 malignant mesothelioma cases among Bari residents without asbestos exposure other than residential exposure. This small cohort, as expected, was composed of a majority of females (56.34%) with a M/F ratio of 0.8, ages ≤ 65 years old (52.11%) and the epithelioid morphological type (78.87%). Sixty-four subjects (90.14%) lived between 10 m and 1000 m from the asbestos cement factory (Fibronit), and the latency length was longer than 55 years for 25 subjects (35.21%). The adjusted risk (adjusted OR) of observing the epithelial form of mesothelioma among subjects living at small distances from Fibronit was high (OR = 1.870 (0.353–9.905)) for people living 550–1000 m from the site and for those living less than 550 m from the site (OR = 1.470 (0.262–8.248)). Additionally, the subjects with a high length of exposure showed a relevant risk of epithelioid mesothelioma both for 21–40 years of exposure (OR = 2.027 (0.521–7.890)) and more than 40 years of exposure (OR = 2.879 (0.651–12.736)). All of the estimates were high but not significant because this transitional study has a typically low power. The adjustment for latency showed the same trend. Using detailed information collected by the regional mesothelioma registry, this study provided evidence of a continuing health impact of the Fibronit asbestos cement factory in Bari on the resident population.

Exploring Environmentally Friendly Biopolymer Material Effect on Soil Tensile and Compressive Behavior

“…Traditional cement materials have been employed as stabilizing agents in civil engineering for a long time. Nevertheless, the extensive production and application of these materials have caused serious impacts on the environment, including solid waste, soil contamination, carbon emissions, dust, and water pollution [1][2][3][4][5]. Due to environmental concerned, the exploration of eco-friendly biomixture materials has recently been introduced as a potential replacement of cemented materials.…”

Using GIS to Estimate Population at Risk Because of Residence Proximity to Asbestos Processing Facilities in Colombia

“…In the literature review, seven studies that analyzed the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma at different distances from an industrial emission source point, generally an asbestos-cement factory, were identified [19,21,[26][27][28][29][30]. The studies are presented in Table 2.…”

Preventive and therapeutic opportunities: targeting BAP1 and/or HMGB1 pathways to diminish the burden of mesothelioma

“…As rural areas containing these fibers are being developed, construction workers first and residents later can be exposed. In some cases, these exposures can be above background levels and may cause lung fibrosis, pleural plaques, and mesothelioma [ 3 , 6 , 9 , 11 – 14 ].…”