Communicating with the public about the risks of naturally occurring asbestos

Hooker, Claire; Capon, Adam; Hess, Isabel

doi:10.17061/phrp2751747

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Scientific evidence of the impact of hazardous substances exposure and related diseases, including asbestos occurring in both occupational and living environments, has to be communicated to the contaminated, affected communities [82,83]. The risk of asbestos exposure in living environments affects residents in areas characterized by asbestos exposure, such as because of asbestos-cement production and of uncontrolled asbestos waste disposal, as well as the relatives of asbestos workers (domestic exposure).…”

Section: Communication Of Scientific Findings To Affected Communities...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Italian Experience in the Development of Mesothelioma Registries: A Pathway for Other Countries to Address the Negative Legacy of Asbestos

Magnani

Mensi

Binazzi

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Asbestos (all forms, including chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) is carcinogenic to humans and causally associated with mesothelioma and cancer of the lung, larynx, and ovary. It is one of the carcinogens most diffuse in the world, in workplaces, but also in the environment and is responsible for a very high global cancer burden. A large number of countries, mostly with high-income economies, has banned the use of asbestos which, however, is still widespread in low- and middle-income countries. It remains, thus, one of the most common occupational and environmental carcinogens worldwide. Italy issued an asbestos ban in 1992, following the dramatic observation of a large increase in mortality from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in exposed workers and also in subjects with non-occupational exposure. A mesothelioma registry was also organized and still monitors the occurrence of mesothelioma cases, conducting a case-by-case evaluation of asbestos exposure. In this report, we describe two Italian communities, Casale Monferrato and Broni, that faced an epidemic of mesothelioma resulting from the production of asbestos cement and the diffuse environmental exposure; we present the activity and results of the Italian mesothelioma registry (ReNaM), describe the risk-communication activities at the local and national level with a focus on international cooperation and also describe the interaction between mesothelioma registration and medical services specialized in mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment in an area at high risk of mesothelioma. Finally, we assess the potential application of the solutions and methods already developed in Italy in a city in Colombia with high mesothelioma incidence associated with the production of asbestos-cement materials and the presence of diffuse environmental asbestos pollution.

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Section: Communication Of Scientific Findings To Affected Communities...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Italian Experience in the Development of Mesothelioma Registries: A Pathway for Other Countries to Address the Negative Legacy of Asbestos

Magnani

Mensi

Binazzi

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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“…Despite relevant work being undertaken since this paper was published, the key questions remain unanswered. In the Australian setting, the amount of in situ asbestos has been estimated [33]; the risk from in situ has been characterised quantitatively [8] and qualitatively [27,34]; the potential application of mobile phone applications has been explored [35,36]; and the challenges of communication have been considered [37]. Similar considerations have been undertaken in several countries-Colombia [38][39][40][41], the Czech Republic [42], Denmark [43], Iran [44,45], Italy [46][47][48][49], Korea [50][51][52][53][54][55][56], Peru [57], Poland [58,59], Serbia [60], South Africa [61], Turkey [62,63], the United States [64][65][66][67]-and more generally [68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75]…”

Section: Australian Mesothelioma Registrymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Past, Present and Future of Asbestos-Related Diseases in Australia: What Are the Data Telling Us?

et al. 2023

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Exposure to asbestos fibres causes asbestosis, mesothelioma and several other cancers, which together are commonly referred to as asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). The use of asbestos increased rapidly in Australia and overseas throughout the 1900s, but knowledge about the health effects of exposure and subsequent controls came about more gradually. In Australia today, an estimated 4000 people still die annually from ARDs. While most of these deaths are due to past occupational exposures, there is ongoing concern about the many potential sources of asbestos exposure remaining in homes and the broader built environment as a legacy of past use. Current evidence indicates that Australians will continue to be exposed to legacy asbestos occupationally and non-occupationally, and continue to develop ARDs, without targeted action to prevent it. Evidence of ongoing exposure highlights the importance of better understanding how and why such exposures might still occur, and how they can be effectively prevented or controlled, with the aim of preventing the disease in the future. A better characterisation of this risk is also necessary to enable effective risk management and appropriate risk communication that is relevant to the current Australian context. This article explores the past, present and future of ARDs in Australia, considers the risk of a new wave of ARDs from legacy asbestos, and identifies where further study is required so that sustainable policies and practices can be developed to prevent a future wave of diseases.

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“…Beck (1992) argues that in late modern societies characterised by risk, uncritical confidence in scientific knowledge is declining and the status of expert knowledge is increasingly contested (Gabe 2013). The rise of evidence-based policymaking in public health (Law 2010;Brownson 2011;Lhachimi, Bala, and Vanagas 2016) is seen as a foil to the risk society (Hooker, Capon, and Hess 2017), shifting authority from experts to their methods, which are portrayed as rigorous and open to scrutiny (Hanquet et al 2015). However, this leads to a dilemma in policymaking when there is an imperative to act in an environment of incomplete evidence, because the alternativeexpert opinionhas suffered a decline in the risk society (Kerr and Cunningham-Burley 2000;Rose 2000;Cantelli, Kodate, and Krieger 2010;Schmidt et al 2014;Burgess, Wardman, and Mythen 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is the role of consensus statements in a risk society?

Brooy

Pratt

Kelaher

2019

Journal of Risk Research

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This paper explores the role of consensus statements in a risk society. It uses Beck's theory of risk to show that scientists have employed consensus statements in order to re-establish faith in science. Through analysing the goals of participants in consensus fora and comparing them to the fora processes, this paper considers how consensus statements and guidelines in public health can be viewed as remedies for the decline in expert trust experienced in the current risk society. To collect data, 25 interviews were undertaken with consensus panel participants from the USA, UK and Australia. Interviewees were from peak national agencies/commissioning agencies and were categorised as policymaker, practitioner and consumer stakeholders. Participants made recommendations for improving consensus processes in order to mitigate perceptions of risk. These were: (1) clearly stated goals; (2) robust, evidence-based and transparent processes of methodological development and participation/deliberation/decision-making; (3) diverse stakeholder representation, including increased consumer participation; (4) transparency about conflicts of interest; and, (5) robust, carefully worded recommendations. Poor-quality consensus statements can further entrench scepticism about the scientific enterprise. While consensus statements can be seen as a tool for moderating perceptions of risk, policymakers and scientists must ensure the integrity, strength and transparency of their research methods. This has the potential to facilitate policy, improve scientific accountability to the public and legitimise processes. While fostering greater trust is not a primary objective for scientists, an increase in legitimacy of process can be an important unintended consequence of improved quality consensus statements and an important antidote to the risk society. ARTICLE HISTORY

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Communicating with the public about the risks of naturally occurring asbestos

Cited by 5 publications

References 9 publications

The Italian Experience in the Development of Mesothelioma Registries: A Pathway for Other Countries to Address the Negative Legacy of Asbestos

The Italian Experience in the Development of Mesothelioma Registries: A Pathway for Other Countries to Address the Negative Legacy of Asbestos

The Past, Present and Future of Asbestos-Related Diseases in Australia: What Are the Data Telling Us?

What is the role of consensus statements in a risk society?

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