Background
Asbestos-induced disorders have achieved a pandemic character both in industrialized countries and emerging economies. Nearly all of these disorders could have been prevented by a timely asbestos ban and appropriate preventive measures because the medical occupational knowledge on asbestos-induced and frequently fatal health risks have been known for more than 100 years.
Results
By questioning the damage caused by asbestos, the asbestos industry succeeded in prolonging the long overdue preventive measures and the introduction of an asbestos ban for decades. The corporate ties of influential scientists contributed to this gloomy process. Furthermore, in many cases very subtle practices were developed to avoid mandatory financial compensation of asbestos-induced occupational diseases. By means of obsolete diagnostic procedures and flawed scientific interpretations many substantiated compensation claims were declined in an unsound manner. Most importantly, an essential piece of evidence was frequently ignored, namely the very short half-life of white asbestos (chrysotile) in the lungs, which comprised 94 % of the asbestos used. Nevertheless, scientifically unsound high levels of proof were set still requiring the identification of certain numbers of asbestos bodies or fibers in lung tissue. Frequently, this evidence was required as a prerequisite for the recognition of occupational diseases in expert testimonies, while at the same time ignoring the essential aspects of an occupational asbestos burden in the case history. Contrary to the clearly defined mandatory regulations, the latter is frequently not considered during the life time.
Conclusion
Reinvestigation and correction of occupational disease litigations and decisions based for decades on such severe misinterpretations within the sociopolitical and social legislation are therefore urgently needed.