In Hungary some 3,000 workers have been reported as being exposed to asbestos during manufacture alone. The numbers exposed to asbestos fibres more broadly will be vastly greater. Reliable asbestos exposure and illness figures for developing countries and countries in economic transition are hard to come by. One thing is certain, however. If asbestos diseases continue to be a major problem in developed countries, the situation of those exposed to asbestos fibres in developing countries and countries in economic transition will be very much worse.
Asbestos occurs in a number of distinct types.
Today chrysotile deposits are being exploited in more than 40 countries. The main producing countries are the Russian Federation, Canada, Kazakhstan, China, Brazil, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Frequently used in shipbuilding because of its resistance to acids and sea water, and also mixed with chrysotile to accelerate the production of asbestos pressure pipes and sheeting. Every kind of asbestos can cause cancer, and every kind of asbestos can cause asbestosis - no matter whether it is white, blue, or brown asbestos. Between 1900 and 1980, more than 30 million tonnes of asbestos were used in the United States, primarily as a fireproofing and insulating material.