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

Abstract

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.

Australia’s Ongoing Challenge of Legacy Asbestos in the Built Environment: A Review of Contemporary Asbestos Exposure Risks

“…Table 1 provides a summary of airborne asbestos fibre concentrations measured in these studies [16,46]. While it is difficult to compare these results directly with the WES, as the sampling periods used in these studies are much shorter than the 8 h workplace limit, these high shortterm concentrations are consistent with expectations and seem to be sufficient to cause disease [38][39][40][41][42]. 4 108 min 0.030 f/mL 1 Assumes no other exposure to asbestos fibres during the 8 h for each task and exposure is measured without consideration of personal protective equipment (PPE).…”

“…Renovations that do not include precautions for asbestos are one of the greatest contemporary risks of uncontrolled exposure to airborne asbestos fibres. Indeed, of all the current exposures, renovation and removal are the most likely to be associated with disease [38][39][40][41][42]. These activities are a major source of non-workplace exposure because of the large number of homes that are renovated, particularly older homes that are likely to contain ACMs.…”

“…This highlights the significant socioeconomic costs associated with a reactive approach to managing legacy asbestos, which could be much improved if proactive action is given precedence. With the increasing frequency of such events, there has been an improved ability to mobilise and more efficiently accomplish the physical cleanup, but the post-disaster impact involves a long-term recovery process that often takes years and given the latency of asbestos-related disease onset [42], the consequences of any asbestos exposure will not be known for some time.…”