Occupational and environmental medicine
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Evidence from toxicological studies indicates that the risk of respiratory diseases varies with asbestos fibre length and width. However, there is a total lack of epidemiological evidence concerning this question. ⋯ Asbestos fibre dimension appears to be an important determinant of respiratory disease risk. Current PCM-based methods may underestimate asbestos exposures to the thinnest fibres, which were the strongest predictor of lung cancer or asbestosis mortality in this study. Additional studies are needed of other asbestos cohorts to further elucidate the role of fibre dimension and type.