“7 Irrefutable Facts about Asbestos” – Global Asbestos Awareness Week April 1 – 7, 2013
1) Asbestos is a known human carcinogen and there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.
2) 55 countries have banned asbestos, but the U.S. and Canada have not. USGS reports in 2012, the U.S. imported over 1,060 tons of asbestos.
3) Asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers, and an aggressive cancer called mesothelioma. The average life expectancy of a mesothelioma patient is six – twelve months.
4) Asbestos-caused diseases have a 10 – 50 year latency period from initial exposure to development of disease.
5) The World Health Organization estimates “more than 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposures.”
6) Chrysotile asbestos accounts for nearly 95% of asbestos mined and exported today. USGS reports in 2012, the top four asbestos producing countries were Russia, China, Brazil, and Kazakhstan.
7) Asbestos fibers can be nearly 700 times smaller than human hair and are odorless, tasteless, indestructible fibers that can remain suspended in the air for seconds.