Fiber Burden and Asbestos-Related Diseases: An Umbrella Review

Details

• Journal Article:
  Gac Sanit
• Personal Author:
  Ramada Rodilla, José María ; Calvo Cerrada, Beatriz ; Serra Pujadas, Consol ; Delclos, George L. ; Benavides, Fernando G.
• Description:
  Objective:
  
  What are the levels of asbestos exposure that cause each type of health effect? The objective of this study was to review the available scientific evidence on exposure levels for asbestos and their relationship to health effects.
  
  Method:
  
  An umbrella review of English-language reviews and meta-analyses, from 1980 to March 2021 was conducted. We included reviews involving quantified asbestos exposures and health outcomes. The review has been adapted to the indications of the PRISMA declaration. Methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed using the AMSTAR instrument.
  
  Results:
  
  We retrieved 196 references. After applying the search strategy and quality analysis, 10 reviews were selected for in-depth analysis. For lung cancer, the highest risk was observed with exposure to amphiboles. Longer, thinner fibers had the greatest capacity to cause lung cancer, especially those > 10 μm in length. For mesothelioma, longer and thinner fibers were also more pathogenic; amphiboles ≥ 5 μm are especially associated with increased mesothelioma risk. No studies observed an increased risk for lung cancer or mesothelioma at asbestos exposure levels < 0.1 f/ml. No reviews provided information on exposure concentrations for pulmonary fibrosis. Currently, there is limited evidence in humans to establish the causal relationship between gastrointestinal cancer and asbestos exposure.
  
  Conclusions:
  
  Banning all asbestos exposure remains the best measure to preventing its negative health effects. The highest quality reviews and meta-analyses support that there is little risk of lung cancer or mesothelioma at daily exposure levels below 0.1 f/ml.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Asbestos Carcinogens Mesothelioma Neoplasms Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  Asbestos Fibers; Health Effects; Mesothelioma; Lung Cancer; Lung Fibrosis; Larynx Cancer; Ovarian Cancer; Gastrointestinal System Disorders; Systematic Reviews; Fibras De Amianto; Efectos En La Salud; Mesotelioma; Cáncer De Pulmón; Fibrosis Pulmonar; Cáncer De Laringe; Cáncer De Ovarios; Trastornos Del Sistema Gastrointestinal; Revisiones Sistemáticas; Author Keywords/Palabras Clave Del Autor: Asbestos; Inorganic Fibers; Exposure Assessment; Mesothelioma; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Lung Cancer; Laryngeal Cancer; Ovarian Cancer; Gastrointestinal Cancer; Asbesto; Fibras Inorgánicas; Asesoramiento De Exposición; Mesotelioma; Fibrosis Pulmonar; Cáncer De Pulmón; Cáncer De Laringe; Cáncer De Ovario; Cáncer Gastrointestinal
• Source:
  Gac Sanit. 36(2):173-183
• Pubmed ID:
  34120777
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC8882348
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  P30 ES030285/ES/NIEHS NIH HHSUnited States/ ; T42 OH008421/OH/NIOSH CDC HHSUnited States/
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 6 ; Texas ; Spain
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  24 pdf pages
• Volume:
  36
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20065016
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Performing Organization:
  University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:538ff2739f9b6a52df8b7d30d4f693d4f82f36824994ee729816fc3e0ae665b337b78f4e0e0ef8b7717c3b20575a8d463a51018da1cc12df8a00737d0eea461f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/114970/cdc_114970_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 521.89 KB ]