Factors Affecting Asbestosis Mortality Among Asbestos-Cement Workers in Italy

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Objectives</jats:title> <jats:p>This study was performed with the aim of investigating the temporal patterns and determinants associated with mortality from asbestosis among 21 cohorts of Asbestos-Cement (AC) workers who were heavily exposed to asbestos fibres.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>Mortality for asbestosis was analysed for a cohort of 13 076 Italian AC workers (18.1% women). Individual cumulative asbestos exposure index was calculated by factory and period of work weighting by the different composition of asbestos used (crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile). Two different approaches to analysis, based on Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) and Age-Period-Cohort (APC) models were applied.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Among the considered AC facilities, asbestos exposure was extremely high until the end of the 1970s and, due to the long latency, a peak of asbestosis mortality was observed after the 1990s. Mortality for asbestosis reached extremely high SMR values [SMR: males 508, 95% confidence interval (CI): 446–563; females 1027, 95% CI: 771–1336]. SMR increased steeply with the increasing values of cumulative asbestos exposure and with Time Since the First Exposure. APC analysis reported a clear age effect with a mortality peak at 75–80 years; the mortality for asbestosis increased in the last three quintiles of the cumulative exposure; calendar period did not have a significant temporal component while the cohort effect disappeared if we included in the model the cumulative exposure to asbestos.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>Among heaviest exposed workers, mortality risk for asbestosis began to increase before 50 years of age. Mortality for asbestosis was mainly determined by cumulative exposure to asbestos.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

The asbestos–asbestosis exposure–response relationship: a cohort study of the general working population

“…It is well-known that an exposure-response relation between asbestos exposure and risk of asbestosis exists at high levels of asbestos exposure in asbestos mining and processing factories (14)(15)(16)(17)25). However, our study population is not comparable to those in studies of high-exposed occupations as asbestos mining Cumulative exposure ranged from 0.001-18 f/mlyear.…”

‘Hidden epidemic’ of neurological deaths in the major Western nations in the 21st Century

“…As many of the neurological conditions appear to take a decade or more before they are recognised, we fear this may be similar to an industrial-disease that started in the 1960' s that is now producing problems in the 21 st Century. This relates to asbestosis, which was not totally banned until the 1980' s. There are now lung mesotheliomas, that takes decades before the disease presents itself, and are now beginning to be found in the Western world of people in their late fifties and sixties, dying from asbestosis mesothelioma (Kwak et al, 2019;Loomis et al, 2019;Loomis et al, 2019;Luberto et al, 2019;Girardi et al, 2020;Fazzo et al, 2021). Are our results another example of an environmental impact creating a new wave upon human morbidity?…”

Analysis of Mortality from Asbestos-Related Diseases in Brazil Using Multiple Health Information Systems, 1996–2017

“…Females with non-malignant ARD-T tended to die at older ages compared to males ( Table 4 ). Likewise, in Italy, women who died of asbestosis were older than men [ 30 ]. Most individuals whose deaths were MM deaths were reported as having white skin color and higher educational level in comparison with those with non-malignant ARD-T.…”