3 ms·

Can we say that people who developed mesothelioma died from asbestos?

• GuB-42 3y ago
  If these people worked in asbestos facilities and developed mesothelioma, then there is a very good chance it is the cause. Out of the banned substances, asbestos is one of the few where we can actually count the dead and get a meaningful number. But air pollution is vague, there are many types of pollutants with different effects, a wide range of diseases, and we are all exposed to it in some way. There may be some rare cases where you can make a direct connection, for example if you are very exposed to a specific chemical, and you develop a disease that is known to be common for people exposed and rare otherwise. But if you just counted such cases, that would be a gross underestimate of the damage air pollution does.