Deaths Caused by Exposure to Asbestos Much Higher Than Previously Estimated

The  Environmental Working Group (EWG) is reporting that the number of deaths caused by asbestos related disease in the U.S. is much higher than previously believed. Extensive analysis done by EWG Action Fund concludes that approximately 15,000 Americans die every year from asbestos-related diseases, that’s 5,000 more than previous estimates of 10,000 a year.

EWG analyzed death records from the Centers for Disease Control for 1999 to 2013, identifying all deaths attributed solely or in part to mesothelioma or asbestosis, and found that the actual number of deaths caused by exposure to asbestos is likely much higher. Asbestos exposure is now being linked in many cases to ovarian cancer, abdominal cancers, colorectal and laryngital cancers.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 107,000 people around the world die every year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Read the full report here.