How conflicted authors undermine the World Health Organization (WHO) campaign to stop all use of asbestos: spotlight on studies showing that chrysotile is carcinogenic and facilitates other non-cancer asbestos-related diseases.
The silicate mineral asbestos is categorized into two main groups based on fiber structure: serpentine asbestos (chrysotile) and amphibole asbestos (crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite). Chrysotile is used in more than 2 000 applications and is especially prevalent in the construction industry. Although its use is banned or restricted in more than 52 countries, an estimated 107 000 workers die from asbestos exposure each year, and approximately 125 million workers continue to be exposed. Furthermore, ambient exposures persist to which the public is exposed, globally. Today, the primary controversies regarding the use of asbestos are the potencies of different types of asbestos, as opposed whether or not asbestos causes morbidity and mortality. The asbestos industry has promoted and funded research based on selected literature, ignoring both clinical and scientific knowledge. In this piece, we highlight a prominent example of a conflicted publication that sought to undermine the World Health Organization (WHO) campaign to stop the use of all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile asbestos. Independent and rigorous scientific data provide sufficient evidence that chrysotile asbestos, like other forms of asbestos, is a cause of asbestos-related morbidity and premature mortality.
Xaver
X
Baur
Colin L
CL
Soskolne
Richard A
RA
Lemen
Joachim
J
Schneider
Hans-Joachim
HJ
Woitowitz
Lygia Therese
LT
Budnik
D000818:Animals; D017632:Asbestos, Serpentine / Q000633:toxicity*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D015984:Causality; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014944:World Health Organization
D017632:Asbestos, Serpentine; D002273:Carcinogens
WHO campaign to end all use of asbestos; asbestos related diseases,; chrysotile,; conflict-of interests,; lung cancer,; white asbestos,