Naturally caused Carcinogen at Home and Work; Research

A recent study by UC Davis researchers is the largest study to date to look at the links between asbestos exposure and cancer. In this study, researchers found a consistent and dose-dependent association between mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer affecting the lining of the lung) and residential proximity to ultramafic rock, the predominant source of naturally occurring asbestos. To put the mesothelioma risk in perspective, the disease is responsible for about the same number of lung cancer deaths each year as passive smoking. About 2,500 people a year die from mesothelioma in the United States. Research concluded that the odds of having mesothelioma fell by 6.3 percent for every 10 kilometers farther a person lived from the nearest asbestos source.