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Belgium: historical champion in asbestos consumption

2007; Elsevier BV; Volume: 369; Issue: 9574 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0140-6736(07)60776-4

1474-547X

Tim S. Nawrot, Greta Van Kersschaever, Elisabeth van Eycken, Benoît Nemery,

Occupational exposure and asthma

Belgium did not feature in Ro-Ting Lin and colleagues' ecological analysis (March 10, p 844)1Lin RT Takahashi K Karjalainen A et al.Ecological association between asbestos-related diseases and historical asbestos consumption: an international analysis.Lancet. 2007; 369: 844-849Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (187) Google Scholar of the relation between asbestos consumption in the 1960s and mesothelioma and asbestosis in the early 2000s. Yet none of the countries analysed had a per capita asbestos consumption as high as that of Belgium: 53 790 tons on average during 1960–70 for Belgium and Luxembourg,2Virta RL Worldwide asbestos supply and consumption trends from 1900 through 2003.http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2006/1298Google Scholar for a total population of about ten million.Belgium was absent from the analysis because of the lack of recent national mortality statistics.3Leveque A Coppieters Y Piette D Belgium and statistics on mortality.Lancet. 1999; 354: 779Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar However, reliable data on cancer mortality are available for the Flemish region (about six million inhabitants).4Vlaams Agentschap Zorg en Gezondheid [Flemish Agency for Care and Health]. Statistiek doodsoorzaken [Statistics of causes of death].http://www.zorg-en-gezondheid.be/statistiek-doodsoorzaken.aspxGoogle Scholar These data indicate that 116 died of mesothelioma in the Flemish region in 2000, 143 in 2001, 122 in 2002, 111 in 2003, and 137 in 2004, giving a yearly average of 126 mesotheliomas in the Flemish region. Of these, 106 are men, thus giving a crude mortality from mesothelioma of about 35 per million men per year—ie, 20 per million men when standardised according to Lin and colleagues (figure).The Belgian Fund for Occupational Diseases5Fonds voor de Beroepsziekten—Fonds des Maladies Professionnelles [Fund for Occupational Diseases]. Jaarverslagen – Rapports [Yearly reports].http://www.fmp-fbz.fgov.be/fr/rapports_annuels_fr01.htmGoogle Scholar recognised 203 deaths from asbestosis (197 men) between 2000 and 2004, giving an asbestosis mortality of about eight per million men per year—again, a figure higher than in any of the 33 countries in Lin and colleagues' study.We declare that we have no conflict of interest. Belgium did not feature in Ro-Ting Lin and colleagues' ecological analysis (March 10, p 844)1Lin RT Takahashi K Karjalainen A et al.Ecological association between asbestos-related diseases and historical asbestos consumption: an international analysis.Lancet. 2007; 369: 844-849Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (187) Google Scholar of the relation between asbestos consumption in the 1960s and mesothelioma and asbestosis in the early 2000s. Yet none of the countries analysed had a per capita asbestos consumption as high as that of Belgium: 53 790 tons on average during 1960–70 for Belgium and Luxembourg,2Virta RL Worldwide asbestos supply and consumption trends from 1900 through 2003.http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2006/1298Google Scholar for a total population of about ten million. Belgium was absent from the analysis because of the lack of recent national mortality statistics.3Leveque A Coppieters Y Piette D Belgium and statistics on mortality.Lancet. 1999; 354: 779Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar However, reliable data on cancer mortality are available for the Flemish region (about six million inhabitants).4Vlaams Agentschap Zorg en Gezondheid [Flemish Agency for Care and Health]. Statistiek doodsoorzaken [Statistics of causes of death].http://www.zorg-en-gezondheid.be/statistiek-doodsoorzaken.aspxGoogle Scholar These data indicate that 116 died of mesothelioma in the Flemish region in 2000, 143 in 2001, 122 in 2002, 111 in 2003, and 137 in 2004, giving a yearly average of 126 mesotheliomas in the Flemish region. Of these, 106 are men, thus giving a crude mortality from mesothelioma of about 35 per million men per year—ie, 20 per million men when standardised according to Lin and colleagues (figure). The Belgian Fund for Occupational Diseases5Fonds voor de Beroepsziekten—Fonds des Maladies Professionnelles [Fund for Occupational Diseases]. Jaarverslagen – Rapports [Yearly reports].http://www.fmp-fbz.fgov.be/fr/rapports_annuels_fr01.htmGoogle Scholar recognised 203 deaths from asbestosis (197 men) between 2000 and 2004, giving an asbestosis mortality of about eight per million men per year—again, a figure higher than in any of the 33 countries in Lin and colleagues' study. We declare that we have no conflict of interest.