The objective of this study was to examine the epidemiological data that confirm the risks of pleural
mesothelioma,
lung cancer, and other respiratory damage associated with nonoccupational exposure to
asbestos, in circumstances where exposure levels are usually lower than those found in the workplace: domestic and paraoccupational exposure to
asbestos-containing material among people living with
asbestos workers or near
asbestos mines and manufacturing plants, environmental exposure from naturally occurring
asbestos in soil, and nonoccupational exposure to
asbestos-containing material in buildings. Studies concerning natural
asbestos in the environment show that the exposure that begins at birth does not seem to affect the duration of the latency period, but the studies do not show whether early exposure increases susceptibility; they do not suggest that susceptibility differs according to sex. Solid evidence shows an increased risk of
mesothelioma among people whose exposure comes from a paraoccupational or domestic source. The risk of
mesothelioma associated with exposure as result of living near an industrial
asbestos source (mines, mills,
asbestos processing plants) is clearly confirmed. No solid epidemiological data currently justify any judgment about the health effects associated with passive exposure in buildings containing
asbestos. Most of the studies on nonoccupational sources reported mainly
amphibole exposure, but it cannot be ruled out that environmental exposure to
chrysotile may also cause
cancer. Nonoccupational exposure to
asbestos may explain approximately 20% of the
mesotheliomas in industrialized countries, but it is does not seem possible to estimate the number of
lung cancers caused by these circumstances of exposure.