The
Environmental Working Group (EWG) is reporting that the number of deaths caused by asbestos related disease
in the U.S. is much higher than previously believed. Extensive analysis
done by EWG Action Fund concludes that approximately 15,000 Americans
die every year from asbestos-related diseases, that’s 5,000 more
than previous estimates of 10,000 a year.
EWG analyzed death records from the Centers for Disease Control for 1999
to 2013, identifying all deaths attributed solely or in part to mesothelioma
or asbestosis, and found that the actual number of deaths caused by exposure
to asbestos is likely much higher. Asbestos exposure is now being linked
in many cases to ovarian cancer, abdominal cancers, colorectal and laryngital cancers.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 107,000 people around
the world die every year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma
and asbestosis.
Read the full report
here.