Chrysotile, which is mined primarily in Quebec Canada, is the most common asbestos found in the United States. Asbestos has long been known as a human carcinogen. Lung , pleural, laryngeal and gastrointestinal cancer have all been associated with asbestos exposure. In addition to cancer, asbestos also causes a potentially lethal inflammatory disease of the lungs, appropriately called asbestosis. Following the EPA s regulations heavy asbestos exposure has virtually subsided in the United States and attention has now been turned towards determining the risk of cancer from lower doses of asbestos.
Asbestos remains in schools, homes and commercial buildings across the country.
Asbestos in these structures is not a public health hazard unless it is disturbed and gains access to the air, where it can be inhaled. The current standard of practice is to visually inspect asbestos in schools, as long as the asbestos is in place and undisturbed, do nothing. However, debate continues regarding the risk posed to the general population by low levels of asbestos. Women in provinces of Quebec where asbestos is mined were compared to women in other parts of Canada in regard to the risk of dying from lung cancer. In addition, this risk was compared to the risk of lung cancer based on the EPA s risk assessment model.