Relatively brief on-the-job exposure to a highly toxic form of asbestos appears to dramatically increase the risk of death from asbestos-related illnesses, according to a study published Thursday.
The researchers studied 33 men who had worked in 1953 at a paper factory that made cigarette filters containing crocidolite fibers, a form of asbestos. Twenty-eight had died, triple the expected death rate.The increased mortality was almost entirely attributable to 18 deaths from three asbestos-associated diseases - lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis. The men had worked in the factory a median of under two years.
Work exposure to other forms of asbestos also has been linked with lung diseases, but crocidolite is thought to be especially hazardous.