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Historical Use of Asbestos
By the late 1900s, evidence of harm had led many governments to regulate or phase out its use. By 2024, 68 countries and territories prohibit the use of asbestos-containing materials. Even so, legacy asbestos remains in millions of buildings and products worldwide, so exposure still occurs during renovation, demolition, and improper handling
Health Risks of Asbestos Exposure
All forms of asbestos are known human carcinogens. WHO and IARC classify all six common asbestos fiber types (chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite) as Group 1 carcinogens.
Malignant Mesothelioma: a rare, aggressive lung cancer of the abdominal lining. Virtually all cases are linked to asbestos exposure. The latency is long (typically 30–50 years after first exposure) and risk persists for life. Even light exposure carries risk; there is no known safe threshold for mesothelioma risk.
Lung Cancer: asbestos exposure significantly raises lung cancer risk, especially among smokers. Epidemiological studies report lung cancer risk ratios of roughly 2–5 times higher in exposed workers (some studies showing up to 9-fold higher risk with asbestosis).
Asbestosis: a chronic fibrotic lung disease from heavy, long-term asbestos exposure. It leads to scarring of lung tissue, breathing difficulty, and reduced lung function. Asbestosis often co-occurs with increases in cancer risk.
Other Cancers: asbestos is causally linked to cancers of the larynx, ovaries, and possibly the pharynx, stomach, colon and rectum. IARC concluded that asbestos exposure causes laryngeal and ovarian cancer. Cohort and meta-analysis studies confirm elevated risks of laryngeal cancer (RR ~2–3) and ovarian cancer (pooled SMR ~1.8) in exposed workers.
WHO and other agencies note the long latency and widespread historical use. Asbestos-related diseases remain a major public health threat. WHO estimates over 200,000 occupational deaths per year worldwide are caused by asbestos (about 70% of work-related cancer deaths), plus millions of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).
In the U.S. alone, EPA estimates asbestos exposure is linked to more than 40,000 deaths each year (from lung, mesothelioma, ovarian and laryngeal cancer). Notably, a recent global analysis found that roughly 27,000 deaths from mesothelioma occurred in 2019, nearly all attributable to past occupational asbestos exposure. The WHO reported in 2018 that about 125 million people worldwide are still exposed to asbestos at work. These figures underline that even after bans, the disease burden will continue for decades due to past use.
Evidence from Scientific Studies
A vast body of research documents asbestos’s harms. IARC’s Monographs and WHO reviews summarize epidemiological and toxicological evidence. WHO and IARC explicitly state that all asbestos forms cause lung, laryngeal and ovarian cancer, and mesothelioma. Meta-analyses show consistent dose–response relationships: higher asbestos exposure yields higher cancer risks, and there is no safety threshold. The scientific consensus is unequivocal that asbestos exposure causes disabling and fatal diseases.
Global Health Burden
The toll of asbestos on public health is staggering. WHO/ILO joint estimates (2016 data) attribute 200,000+ deaths per year to occupational asbestos exposure. These asbestos-related diseases amount to over 70% of work-related cancer deaths. By 2019, global mesothelioma alone caused ~27,000 deaths, nearly all linked to past work exposures. The associated ill-health burden is immense – on the order of millions of DALYs annually.
Some countries still report high mortality: the U.S. sees ~40,000 asbestos-linked cancer deaths yearly, while countries like Australia and the UK – despite early bans – have some of the world’s highest mesothelioma rates because of heavy past use. The Global Burden of Disease study warns that, without intervention, asbestos-related deaths will continue to rise in aging populations and in countries with late-stage bans. Notably, many developing countries are only now reducing use: WHO estimated some 125 million workers remain exposed at global work sites, especially in parts of Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe where asbestos mining and use continues.
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Global Asbestos Threat Persists Despite Widespread Bans and Mounting Evidence
