In recent years, research has revealed that occupational exposure to asbestos can cause as many as 107,000 deaths a year in industrialized countries. In the U.S., it is estimated that over 41,000 people die from lung cancer caused by asbestos, while another 43,000 to 59,000 people die from mesothelioma and 7000-24,000 people die of other asbestos-related diseases. According to the Collegium Ramazzini, there are still large amounts of asbestos in the workplace, and that significant quantities remain in various industrial applications.
Occupational exposure to asbestos is a major cause of mesothelioma, which is a deadly form of asbestos cancer. The North Tower of the World Trade Center was constructed with the mineral asbestos and hundreds of tons were released into the atmosphere during the attack. The highest risk groups include firefighters, paramedics, and construction workers. People who live near the WTC towers are also at risk. Schools and other public areas should be monitored for long-term health effects.
The greatest risk groups of asbestos-related diseases are people who worked in the cleanup after the 9/11 attacks. Asbestos was used in the construction of the North Tower of the WTC, and when the building was attacked, hundreds of tons were released into the air. Firefighters, paramedics, and volunteers are most at risk of exposure. But the dangers of asbestos-related diseases are not limited to these workers. Residents who live near the WTC towers are also at risk. Moreover, people who were in school during the attack should also be monitored to see if they develop long-term diseases.
Despite all the warnings against asbestos, the study has highlighted the need to continue monitoring and prevention efforts. Asbestos-related diseases are increasing in prevalence and risk in Latin American countries. Therefore, it is important to prevent these exposures. But the question remains: how much can be done to reduce their incidence? In order to do that, we must take a public health approach. And while the public health approach has been criticized for its lack of evidence-based research, it can contribute to the fight against environmental inequities.
To effectively prevent asbestos-related diseases, international cooperation between countries is necessary. It is necessary to improve education and literacy rates in countries that have been exposed to the deadly substance. For these reasons, we must continue the global campaign to minimise the incidence of these deadly diseases. If we are to effectively combat this problem, we must ensure that we do not limit the production of asbestos. However, we must make sure that we do not ignore the global social-economic issues inequity and the importance of the scientific expertise in each country.
It is important to promote global cooperation to prevent and eliminate asbestos-related diseases. To accomplish this, we need to work to reduce the health inequities in countries. Developing countries have the highest incidence of asbestos-related diseases. By promoting international collaboration, we can help countries address these inequities in the population. And in developing nations, we can also help develop and implement national prevention plans. This way, we can work toward reducing the incidence of these diseases globally.
