Geographic analysis of asbestos exposure and mortality in the United States

The mineral asbestos is a well-established cause of fatal lung cancers, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Asbestos use in the United States during the 20th century was commonplace in commercial, military, and residential applications for its usefulness in fireproofing and as an insulation material. Efforts began in the 1970s to heavily regulate asbestos in occupational settings to protect workers. This study examines asbestos occupational surveillance data from the 1970s-80s and asbestos-related mortality from 2006-2016 for 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. Correlation between surveilled injurious exposure and mortality after a sufficient latency period is weak, suggesting that surveillance was inadequate during the period and that other exposure sources significantly contribute to mortality. Location quotients are explored using a GIS to reveal both the rising mortality trend overall and states with concentrations of asbestos-related mortality in the years 2006 and 2016. As the United States is one of the last developed nations that has not banned asbestos use, adequate workplace monitoring and disease surveillance, especially in areas with consistent concentrations of mortality, are needed now and for decades to come