Everyday exposure to naturally occurring asbestos increases the risk of developing lung cancer, according to research from the University of California's UC Davis college. The study, to be published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, could have implications for damage claims over manufactured asbestos exposure. Manufactured asbestos in the workplace, particularly in shipyards, has long been recognised as a risk factory for mesothelioma. But UC Davis researchers claim to have found a consistent and dose-dependent association between mesothelioma and living near ultramafic rocks, the predominant source of naturally occurring asbestos. The researchers found that the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma fell by 6.3% for every 10km a person lived away from the nearest ultramafic rock asbestos source.
