Historical aspects of asbestos use and modern problems

The term "asbestos" unites two groups of minerals: amphiboles and chrysotile. Despite the different physico-chemical and, as a result, biological properties of both species, a number of countries do not differentiate between the species, considering them equally dangerous and prohibiting the use of both, while others, including Russia, adhere to a policy of controlled use of chrysotile and prohibition of the use of amphiboles (which comply with the provisions of a number of ratified international documents). Currently, Russia is pursuing a policy aimed at eliminating asbestos-related diseases (ARD), in connection with which a number of measures are being implemented, including "improving supervision and control over safety in the use of asbestos." One of these measures is the introduction of new control methods. Their introduction into domestic practice requires a generalization of international and Russian experience in this field, i.e., the study of historical and other aspects of the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials from the standpoint of occupational health.

The analysis of literary data on PubMed® and elibrary.ru platforms is carried out according to the keywords "asbestos", "асбест", as well as according to the bibliographic index of Kashanskiy S.V. with an emphasis on the achievements of the last 10 years.

It is shown that asbestos was used in ancient times, and industrial use began at the end of the 19^th century. Almost immediately, studies appeared showing the connection of a number of diseases with exposure to asbestos. Their uncontrolled use has led to an epidemic of acute respiratory viral infections, which has been demonstrated in numerous studies.

Instead of a complete ban, as a number of countries have done, others have begun to apply measures to reduce the cumulative impact, which has affected the incidence of AOS. Consideration of the control features of fibrous types of dust has become an important criterion for their hygienic assessment. This made it possible to assess the impact not only in industries related to the extraction of asbestos and the manufacture of asbestos-containing materials (ACM), but also when using ACM.

The impossibility of completely eliminating contact with asbestos shows the expediency of a risk-based approach to the use of asbestos and possible consequences for the health of workers and the public. Further studies using an individual approach to impact assessment that takes into account the hygienic characteristics of fibrous dusts.

Contributions:
Drugova O.G. — collection of literature data, writing a text;
Fedoryuk A.A. — collection of literature data, writing;
Kovalevsky E.V. — collection of literature data, writing a text, editing;
Tskhomaria I.M. — collection of literature data, writing a text, editing
All authors — developed the concept and design of the study, collected primary data, processed the data, and are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the article.

Funding. The study had no funding.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Received: 20.10.2025 / Accepted: 23.10.2025 / Published: 21.11.2025

1. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–139. https://clck.ru/3Q32hT (accessed 14.10.2025).

2. International Ban Asbestos Secretariat. Current Asbestos Bans compiled by Laurie Kazan-Allen. https://clck.ru/3Q32id (accessed 14.10.2025).

3. Stone R. No meeting of the minds on asbestos. Science. 1991; 254(5034): 928–931. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1948074

4. Linton A., McArdle S., Brislane K., Yates D. Chrysotile asbestos-the deadly consequences of a retreat from national bans. Lancet Respir Med. 2025; 13(10): 875–876. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(25)00301-7

5. Stevens M.E., Paustenbach D.J., Korchevskiy A. Exposure-response analysis of recent epidemiological data: Proposed risk based occupational exposure limits for various mineral types of asbestos. Chem. Biol. Interact. 2025; 419: 111645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2025.111645

6. Beckett E.M., Abelmann A., Roberts B., Lewis R.C., Cheatham D., Miller E.W., Hall E., Pierce J.S. An updated evaluation of reported no-observed adverse effect levels for chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite asbestos for lung cancer and mesothelioma. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 2023; 53(10): 611–657. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408444.2023.2283169

7. Barlow C.A., Mossman B.T. Cellular defense mechanisms against asbestos fibers. Front Public Health. 2025; 13: 1566473. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1566473

8. International Labour Organization. Safety in the use of asbestos. Convention C162, 1986 (no 162), 1988. https://clck.ru/3Q32no (accessed 14.10.2025).

9. International Labour Organization. Safety in the use of asbestos. Recommendations R172, 1986 https://clck.ru/3Q32nB (accessed 14.10.2025).

10. International Labour Organization. Safety in the use of asbestos. ILO Code of Practice. Geneva, 1988. https://www.ilo.org/resource/safety-use-asbestos (accessed 14.10.2025).

11. The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Asbestos in Russia. https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/asbestos/reporter/rus (accessed 14.10.2025).

12. Izmerov N.F. WHO and ILO Program on elimination of asbestos-related diseases. Meditsina truda i promyshlennaya ekologiya. 2008; 3: 1–8. https://elibrary.ru/khpbyr (in Russian).

13. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated January 28, 2013 No. 79-R "On the Concept of implementing state policy aimed at eliminating diseases associated with exposure to asbestos-containing dust for the period up to 2020 and beyond." https://clck.ru/3Q32Mj (accessed 14.10.2025) (in Russian).

14. Tskhomariia I.M., Kovalevskiy E.V., Fedoruk A.A., Drugova O.G. Methodological support for measures to control and monitor the effects of industrial fibers on human health. Russian Journal of Occupational Health and Industrial Ecology. 2024; 64(11): 730–739. https://doi.org/10.31089/1026-9428-2024-64-11-730-739 https://elibrary.ru/rgeqwv (in Russian).

15. Kashansky S.V. A bibliographic index of the main works on the medical and biological problems of natural and artificial fibers published by Russian-speaking authors (monographs, dissertations, normative and methodological documents, publications). Yekaterinburg: Publishing House of GBOU VPO UGMA of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia; 2011. https://elibrary.ru/qmcehn (in Russian).

16. Zhulnikov A.M., Pryvanchik M.P., Sviderskaya E.V. Asbest v kul'ture drevnego cheloveka: sbornik statey. Ministry of education of the Russian Federation, Federal State budgetary educational institution of higher education Petrozavodsk State University. Petrozavodsk: PetrSU Publishing House; 2024. https://elibrary.ru/wnxgfy (in Russian).

17. Vasilyeva T.A., Zhulnikov A.M. Asbestos in the culture of the ancient population of Karelia with diamond-edged and comb-dimpled ceramics. Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2023; 45(3): 8–18. https://doi.org/10.15393/uchz.art.2023.882 https://elibrary.ru/blzbct (in Russian).

18. Gerasimov D.V., Zhulnikov A.M., Vasilyeva T.A., Kholkina M.A. Preliminary results of analyses of spatial-temporal distribution of the prehistoric asbestos ware in the Eastern and Northern Europe. In: Proceedings of the conference "Drevnyaya keramika Yevrazii: ot sosuda k kul'ture". Saint Petersburg, May 13-15, 2024; Publishing House: Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Saint Petersburg, 2024: 95–96. https://elibrary.ru/urqxsy (in Russian).

19. Danilov G.B., Kholkina M.A. Asbestos in World Culture (review of written sources). In: Asbest v kul'ture drevnego cheloveka: sbornik statey. Ministry of education of the Russian Federation, Federal State budgetary educational institution of higher education Petrozavodsk State University. Petrozavodsk: PetrSU Publishing House; 2024: 25–38. https://elibrary.ru/wnxgfy (in Russian).

20. Saaya O.V., Ondar E.V. Review of the geological collection of the Ak-Dovuar deposit in the foundations of the National Museum of the Republic of Tuva. In: Ermolayevskiye chteniya: materialy VII nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii, posvyashchennoy 90-letiyu M.A. Devlet i M.Kh. Mannay-oola, 95-letiyu A.D. Gracha v ramkakh Goda pedagoga i nastavnika. Kyzyl, Publisher: Profleader. 2024: 123–130. https://doi.org/10.24412/2686-9624-2023-123-130 https://elibrary.ru/jiqhke (in Russian).

21. Tonheim A. Dioskorides De materia medica. 2000. https://clck.ru/3Q32qC (accessed 14.10.2025)

22. Kirk E.C. Asbestos Fiber in Root-Canal Treatment. Am. J. Dent. Sci. 1893; 26(11): 506–507. https://clck.ru/3Q3327

23. Asbestos. Dent Regist. 1896; 50(4): 181–182.

24. Asbestos as a Surgical Dressing. Dent. Regist. 1896; 50(9): 459. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33700931/

25. Collodion and Asbestos in Toothache. West. J. Med. Surg. 1849; 3(3): 259–260.

26. Yanin E.P. Asbestos in the environment. (Introduction to environmental asbestos science). [Asbest v okruzhayushchey srede. (Vvedeniye v ekologicheskoye asbestovedeniye)]. Moscow: IMGRE Publishing House; 1997. (In Russian)

27. Frank A.L., van Zandwijk N. Asbestos history and use. Lung Cancer. 2024; 193: 107828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lungcan.2024.107828

28. Smither W.J. Secular changes in asbestosis in an asbestos factory. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1965; 132(1): 166–181. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb41099.x

29. Mengeot M.-A. Asbestos manufacturing: an industry of lies. HesaMag 27. In: Tony Musu, Bethany Staunton, Marian Schaapman, Stan De Spiegelaere, Marie-Anne Mengeot, Pien Heuts, Théophile Simon, Mathilde Dorcadie, Tom Cassauwers, Mehmet Koksal, Annie Landry, Michael Quinlan, David Walters, Laurent Vogel, Aude Cefaliello, "Time to act on asbestos" ETUI, The European Trade Union Institute. 2023: 17–21. https://clck.ru/3Q333A

30. IARC monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to man: asbestos. IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risk Chem Man. 1977; 14: 1-106.

31. Lilienfeld D.E. The silence: the asbestos industry and early occupational cancer research — a case study. Am J Public Health. 1991; 81(6): 791–800. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.81.6.791

32. Kottek M., Yuen M.L. Public health risks from asbestos cement roofing. Am. J. Ind. Med. 2022; 65(3): 157–161. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.23321

33. Elwood P.C., Cochrane A.L., Benjamin I.T., Seys-Prosser D. A follow-up study of workers from an asbestos factory. Br J Ind Med. 1964; 21(4): 304–307. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.21.4.304

34. Pfau J.C., McLaurin B., Buck B.J., Miller F.W. Amphibole asbestos as an environmental trigger for systemic autoimmune diseases. Autoimmun. Rev. 2024; 23(7-8): 103603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autrev.2024.103603

35. LLC "Infomine Research Group". Chrysotile asbestos and Chrysotile cement Products Market Overview in Russia, the CIS and the world (8th edition). https://clck.ru/3Q32Vr (accessed 19.05.2025) (in Russian).

36. Frolova A.D. The current state of the chrysotile cement industry in Russia. In: Research in the field of humanities: theory, methodology, practice collection of scientific articles. Ulyanovsk: Zebra publishing house; 2024: 263–267. https://elibrary.ru/iswabj (in Russian).

37. Pshenichnykh O.A., Obolenskaya E.V., Voloshchuk A.V., Lunin D.P., Sheludyakov A.V., Zolotin A.D. Comparative analysis of physical and mechanical properties of two types of asbestos as a reinforcing material for asphalt concrete mixture. Proceeding of the Donbas National Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Modern building materials. 2024; 1(165): 63–68. https://elibrary.ru/lcavtk (in Russian).

38. Zhusupov K.S. Reasons for the application and subsequent refusal of chrysotile asbestos in brake linings: In: Nauka i obrazovaniye: aktual'n·yye voprosy teorii i praktiki. Materialy IV Mezhdunarodnoy nauchno-metodicheskoy konferentsii. Samara-Orenburg, March 26-27, 2024; publisher: Samara State University of Railway Transport. 2024: 35–39. https://elibrary.ru/swxzyo (in Russian).

39. Kukutschová J., Moravec P., Tomášek V., Matějka V., Smolík J., Schwarz J., Seidlerová J., Šafářová K., Filip P. On airborne nano/micro-sized wear particles released from low-metallic automotive brakes. Environmental Pollution. 2011, 159(4): 998–1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.11.036

40. Barosova H., Chortarea S., Peikertova P., Clift M.J.D., Petri-Fink A., Kukutschova J., Rothen-Rutishauser B. Biological response of an in vitro human 3D lung cell model exposed to brake wear debris varies based on brake pad formulation. Arch Toxicol. 2018; 92(7): 2339–2351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-018-2218-8

41. Yanin E.P. Asbestos-bearing areas and rocks as natural sources of asbestos dust entering the environment. Nauchnye i tekhnicheskie aspekty okhrany okruzhayushchej sredy. 2013; 5: 18–47. https://elibrary.ru/rdvgtd (in Russian).

42. Uryupin O.N., Kartenko N.F., Tabachkova N.Y. Structure of InSb nanowires in chrysolite asbestos channels. Fizika i tekhnika poluprovodnikov. 2014; 48(7): 974–978. https://elibrary.ru/snvvjr (in Russian).

43. Bhandari J., Thada P.K., Sedhai Y.R. Asbestosis. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022. https://clck.ru/3Q338J

44. Ghio A.J., Stewart M., Sangani R.G., Pavlisko E.N., Roggli V.L. Asbestos and Iron. Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(15): 12390. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512390

45. Marinaccio A., Binazzi A., Bonafede M., Corfiati M., Di Marzio D., Scarselli A., et al. Malignant mesothelioma due to non-occupational asbestos exposure from the Italian national surveillance system (ReNaM): epidemiology and public health issues. Occup. Environ. Med. 2015; 72(9): 648–655. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2014-102297

46. Banik E. Wirksame Asbestosebekämpfung in einem Asbestweberei- und -verarbeitungsbetrieb [Effective asbestosis protection in an asbestos mill and processing factory]. Zentralbl Arbeitsmed. 1957; 7(9): 209–211. (in German).

47. McDonald A.D., Fry J.S., Woolley A.J., McDonald J.C. Dust exposure and mortality in an American factory using chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite in mainly textile manufacture. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 1983; 40(4): 368–374. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.40.4.368

48. Świątkowska B., Szubert Z., Sobala W., Szeszenia-Dąbrowska N. Predictors of lung cancer among former asbestos-exposed workers. Lung Cancer. 2015; 89(3): 243–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lungcan.2015.06.013

49. Mutetwa B., Moyo D., Brouwer D. Trends in Airborne Chrysotile Asbestos Fibre Concentrations in Asbestos Cement Manufacturing Factories in Zimbabwe from 1996 to 2016. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2021; 18(20): 10755. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010755

50. Mutetwa B., Moyo D, Brouwer D. Prediction of Asbestos-Related Diseases (ARDs) and Chrysotile Asbestos Exposure Concentrations in Asbestos-Cement (AC) Manufacturing Factories in Zimbabwe. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2022; 20(1): 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010058

51. Schüz J., Kovalevskiy E., Olsson A., Moissonnier M., Ostroumova E., Ferro G., et al. Cancer mortality in chrysotile miners and millers, Russian Federation: main results (Asbest Chrysotile Cohort Study). JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2024; 116(6): 866–875. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djad262

52. Hutsich K., Sychyk S. Management of occupational health risk of asbestos cement production workers in the Republic of Belarus. Scientific and practical journal "Health care of Kyrgyzstan". 2024; 4: 126–133. https://doi.org/10.51350/zdravkg2024.4.12.16.126.133 https://elibrary.ru/yepzsu (In Russian).

53. Kovalevskiy E.V., Sharshenova A.A., Otarov Y.Zh., Kasymbekov Zh.O., Tshomariia I.M. Evaluation of potential risks of air pollution by asbestos fibres. Scientific and practical journal "Health care of Kyrgyzstan". 2024; 4: 116–125. https://doi.org/10.51350/zdravkg2024.4.12.15.116.125 https://elibrary.ru/ecuidy (in Russian).

54. Martínez D.E.V., Saba M., Gil L.K.T. Assessment of asbestos-cement roof distribution and prioritized intervention approaches through hyperspectral imaging. Heliyon. 2024; 10(3): e25612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25612

55. Zhukova V.E., Astakhova Yu.M., Sycheva N.A., Shuvalova Yu.N., Yakushina O.A. The problem of asbestos from the standpoint of applied mineralogy. Vestnik of Geosciences. 2022; 334(10): 42–48. https://doi.org/10.19110/geov.2022.10.5 (in Russian).

56. Bloise A., Miriello D. Distinguishing asbestos cement from fiber-reinforced cement through portable µ-Raman spectroscopy and portable X-ray fluorescence. Environ. Monit. Assess. 2022; 194: 679. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10343-x

57. Kovalevsky E.V., Kashansky S.V. Contemporary approach to regulation of asbestos-containing dust. Meditsina truda i promyshlennaya ekologiya. 2008; 3: 9–15. https://elibrary.ru/khpbzb (in Russian).

58. Cancer mortality in chrysotile miners and millers, Russian Federation: main results (Asbest Chrysotile Cohort Study). Questions and Answers. https://clck.ru/3Q33E9 (accessed 05.09.2025).

59. Hessel P.A., Gamble J.F., McDonald J.C. Asbestos, asbestosis, and lung cancer: a critical assessment of the epidemiological evidence. Thorax. 2005; 60(5): 433–436. https://doi.org/10.1136/thx.2004.037267

60. Berry T.A., Belluso E., Vigliaturo R., Gieré R., Emmett E.A., Testa J.R., Steinhorn G., Wallis S.L. Asbestos and Other Hazardous Fibrous Minerals: Potential Exposure Pathways and Associated Health Risks. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022; 19(7): 4031. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074031

61. Punenkov S. Problems and prospects for the production of chrysotile cement materials. Scientific and practical journal "News of science and technologies". 2024; 1(68): 8–14. https://elibrary.ru/tmhnmx (In Russian).

62. Lee R.J., Van Orden D.R. Airborne asbestos in buildings. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2008; 50(2): 218–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2007.10.005

63. Kovalevsky E.V. Assessment of concentrations of asbestos fibers in the air of residential and public buildings and atmospheric air in Moscow. The "Stroitel'nye Materialy" Journal. 2002; 11: 43–45. https://elibrary.ru/ibedad (In Russian)

64. Malek L., Tutt R., Altom D., Lacey S. Evaluating asbestos exposures of occupational non-users at three refinery and petrochemical complexes using the U.S. EPA draft existing chemical occupational exposure value for asbestos. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 2025; 22(7): 515–518. https://doi.org/10.1080/15459624.2025.2475104

65. Nesterova L.L., Leontyeva D.V., Romadanova E.A., Malikova L.V., Rudich T.V., Chechnev S.V. The secondary mineralogenesis in slate. Yugra State University Bulletin. 2010; 19(4): 39–43. https://elibrary.ru/oqqpqr (in Russian).

66. Vezentsev A.I., Gudkova Ye.A., Pylyov L.N., Smirnova O.V. Modification of the surface of chrysotile asbestos fibers by the action of Portland cement hydration products. Ural Medical Journal. 2008; 51(11): 42–45. https://elibrary.ru/klsowj (in Russian).

67. Pylyov L.N., Vasilyeva L.A., Smirnova O.V., Vezentsev A.I., Gudkova Ye.A. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and fiber (asbestos) carcinogenesis. "Toxicological Review" (Toksikologicheskiy vestnik). 2009; 94(1): 27–30. https://elibrary.ru/tpeyqb. (in Russian).

68. Kuroda A. Recent progress and perspectives on the mechanisms underlying Asbestos toxicity. Genes and Environ. 2021; 43: 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41021-021-00215-0

69. Daniel F.B. In Vitro Assessment of Asbestos Genotoxicily. Environmental Health Perspectives. 1983; 53: 163–167.

70. Kettunen E., Hernandez-Vargas H., Cros M.P., Durand G., Le Calvez-Kelm F., Stuopelyte K. et al. Asbestos-associated genome-wide DNA methylation changes in lung cancer. Int J Cancer. 2017; 141(10): 2014–2029. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.30897

71. Gaudino G., Xue J., Yang H. How asbestos and other fibers cause mesothelioma. Transl. Lung Cancer Res. 2020; 9(1): S39–S46. https://doi.org/10.21037/tlcr.2020.02.01

72. Caporali S., Butera A., Amelio I. BAP1 in cancer: epigenetic stability and genome integrity. Discov. Oncol. 2022; 13: 117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-022-00579-x

73. Kadariya Y., Zhang L., Sementino E., Ross E., Testa J.R. Spontaneous Mesotheliomas in Germline Bap1 Heterozygous Mice from Different Genetic Backgrounds. Cancers (Basel). 2025; 17(16): 2692. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17162692

74. Kadariya Y., Sementino E., Ruan M., Cheung M., Hadikhani P., Osmanbeyoglu H.U., Klein-Szanto A.J., Cai K., Testa J.R. Low Exposures to Amphibole or Serpentine Asbestos in Germline Bap1-mutant Mice Induce Mesothelioma Characterized by an Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment. Cancer Res Commun. 2024; 4(4): 1004–1015. https://doi.org/10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-23-0423

75. Ledda C., Loreto C., Lombardo C., Cardile V., Rapisarda V. Mesothelin methylation, soluble mesothelin related protein levels and inflammation profiling in workers chronically exposed to naturally occurring asbestos fibers. Transl. Oncol. 2024; 40: 101872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101872

76. van Tongeren M., Cherrie J., Kromhout H. 8235025 Occupational exposure assessment for burden of disease studies – critique of the WHO/ILO approach. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2025; 82(2): A26. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2025-EPICOHabstracts.64

77. Freedman N.D., Thun M.J. Tobacco products: massive and still growing causes of cancer worldwide. In: World Cancer Report: Cancer Research for Cancer Prevention. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lyon; 2020: 50-60. https://publications.iarc.who.int/586 (accessed 25.08.2025).

78. World Health Organization. Fact sheets: Alcohol. Date of publication – 28 June 2024. https://clck.ru/3Q33Kp (accessed 25.08.2025).