Knowledge and Attitude towards Asbestos Hazards among Asbestos Workers in India

Inhalation of asbestos fibres is known to cause asbestosis, which is characterised by the fibrosis of both the pleura and the pulmonary parenchyma. Asbestosis has a long latent period and by the time when the disease becomes overt and the worker becomes symptomatic, the lungs have already been seriously damaged. Furthermore, asbestos has been classified as a group I carcinogen by International Agency for Research on Cancer and is acknowledged as a well-known carcinogen of lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.