Biomaterial Database

Environmental and Occupational Exposure to Asbestos as a Result of Consumption and Use in Poland. 2019

Małgorzata Krówczyńska, and Ewa Wilk

Department of Geoinformatics, Cartography and Remote Sensing, Chair of Geomatics and Information Systems, Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland. mkrowczynska@uw.edu.pl.

Asbestos is harmful to human health; exposure to asbestos causes a wide range of asbestos-related diseases. Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is unique to occupational and environmental asbestos exposure. Environmental asbestos exposure was examined in relation to asbestos use and manufacturing, the quantity of the asbestos-containing products still in use, the concentrations of asbestos fibres in the air and the number of MM cases diagnosed each year per county. The correlation coefficient of the measurements of the asbestos fibre concentrations in the air and the quantity of asbestos-cement products in use is high and amounts to 0.68. Meanwhile, the correlation coefficient of the measurements of asbestos fibre concentrations in air and MM morbidity rate resulting from environmental exposure calculated for particular counties in provinces is low and amounts to 0.37. The highest MM morbidity rate was observed for Małopolskie and Śląskie, a typical industrial area of Poland. There are MM cases which are still attributable to occupational asbestos exposure, although MM cases resulting from environmental exposure to asbestos have an increased MM risk. Poland is among those countries with a low MM incidence rate, which seems to be an underestimation of environmental asbestos exposure. As long as asbestos-cement products are used in the environment, actions should be undertaken to protect public health.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008175	Lung Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the LUNG.	Cancer of Lung,Lung Cancer,Pulmonary Cancer,Pulmonary Neoplasms,Cancer of the Lung,Neoplasms, Lung,Neoplasms, Pulmonary,Cancer, Lung,Cancer, Pulmonary,Cancers, Lung,Cancers, Pulmonary,Lung Cancers,Lung Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Lung,Neoplasm, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Cancers,Pulmonary Neoplasm
D008297	Male		Males
D008654	Mesothelioma	A tumor derived from mesothelial tissue (peritoneum, pleura, pericardium). It appears as broad sheets of cells, with some regions containing spindle-shaped, sarcoma-like cells and other regions showing adenomatous patterns. Pleural mesotheliomas have been linked to exposure to asbestos. (Dorland, 27th ed)	Mesotheliomas
D011044	Poland	A country in central Europe, east of Germany. The capital is Warsaw.	Polish People's Republic,Republic of Poland
D003252	Construction Materials	Supplies used in building.	Building Materials,Building Material,Construction Material,Material, Building,Material, Construction,Materials, Building,Materials, Construction
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000086002	Mesothelioma, Malignant	A type of mesothelioma with a tendency to metastasize. Most tumors originate from either the PLEURA or PERITONEUM, tumors may also originate in the PERICARDIUM or testicular tissue. It is associated with ASBESTOS exposure. Somatic mutations identified in WT1, BCL10, CDKN2A, NF2, and BAP1 genes are associated with the malignancy. OMIM: 156240.	Malignant Mesothelioma,Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma,Mesothelioma, Malignant Pleural,Malignant Mesotheliomas,Malignant Pleural Mesotheliomas,Mesotheliomas, Malignant,Mesotheliomas, Malignant Pleural,Pleural Mesothelioma, Malignant,Pleural Mesotheliomas, Malignant
D001194	Asbestos	Asbestos. Fibrous incombustible mineral composed of magnesium and calcium silicates with or without other elements. It is relatively inert chemically and used in thermal insulation and fireproofing. Inhalation of dust causes asbestosis and later lung and gastrointestinal neoplasms.