ChemRisk, LLC, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 300 West, Boulder, CO 80301, USA.
Inhal Toxicol. 2011 Dec;23 Suppl 3:1-20. doi: 10.3109/08958378.2011.643417.
We evaluated dozens of published and unpublished documents describing the knowledge and awareness of both the scientific community and governmental entities, particularly the US Navy, regarding the health hazards associated with asbestos over time. We divided our analysis into specific blocks of time: 1900-1929, 1930-1959, and 1960-1970. By 1930, it was clear that high occupational exposure to asbestos caused a unique disease (asbestosis). Between about 1938 and 1965, a considerable amount of exposure and epidemiology data were collected by various scientific and government organizations. Between 1960 and 1970, mesothelioma was clearly linked to exposure to amphibole asbestos. Nonetheless, the Navy continued to require the use of asbestos-containing materials on ships, but also recommended that proper precautions be taken when handling asbestos. We concluded that the Navy was arguably one of the most knowledgeable organizations in the world regarding the health hazards of asbestos, and that it attempted to implement procedures that would minimize the opportunity for adverse effects on both servicemen and civilians. Finally, it is apparent from our research that through at least 1970, neither the military nor the private sector believed that the myriad of asbestos-containing products considered "encapsulated" (e.g. gaskets, brakes, Bakelite) posed a health hazard to those working with them.
我们评估了数十份已发表和未发表的文件，这些文件描述了科学界和政府实体，特别是美国海军，随着时间的推移对与石棉相关的健康危害的了解和认识。我们将分析分为特定的时间段：1900-1929 年、1930-1959 年和 1960-1970 年。到 1930 年，很明显，高职业性暴露于石棉会导致一种独特的疾病（石棉肺）。在 1938 年至 1965 年之间，各种科学和政府组织收集了相当数量的暴露和流行病学数据。在 1960 年至 1970 年期间，间皮瘤与接触闪石石棉明显相关。尽管如此，海军仍继续要求在船舶上使用含石棉的材料，但也建议在处理石棉时采取适当的预防措施。我们的结论是，海军可以说是世界上对石棉健康危害最了解的组织之一，它试图实施程序，以尽量减少对军人和平民造成不利影响的机会。最后，从我们的研究中可以明显看出，至少在 1970 年之前，军方和私营部门都不认为被认为“封装”的众多含石棉产品（例如垫圈、制动器、胶木）会对与其接触的人造成健康危害。
