Læknablaðið - ágú. 2019, Blaðsíða 26

334 LÆKNAblaðið 2019/105
Y F I R L I T S G R E I N
Gunnar Guðmundsson1,2
Kristinn Tómasson3
Asbestos are crystallized silicate minerals that form fibers with
different structures and characteristics. Asbestos fibers are very
durable and can tolerate very high temperatures. Therefore it
was common to use asbestos as a fire retardants, heat insulation
and where high temperature is used. Asbestos has been banned
in Iceland from 1983 but can still be found in large amounts in
buildings, ships and hot water pipes. Large amounts of asbestos
were imported in the years before the ban but diminished soon
to almost nothing today. Needle or filamentous shaped dust is
released when working with asbestos. It is this dust that is dan-
gerous for health. The latent time from exposure to disease can
be up to forty years. Asbestos reaches the lungs via inhalation
and can cause asbestosis that is a form of lung fibrosis with slow
progression. Asbestos can also cause benign pleural effusions,
pleural plaques and diffuse pleural thickening. Asbestos is a
carcinogen. Lung cancer is most common but asbestos is also
a risk factor for cancers of other organs. Mesothelioma is most
common in the pleura but can be seen in other membranes. The
incidence of these tumors is high in Iceland and is still increasing
among males. Of all the European countries mortality is highest in
Iceland. It is important for physicians to include asbestos expos-
ure in the differential diagnosis of lung diseases and when lung
cancer is diagnosed
Asbestos and its effects on health of Icelanders – review
ENGLISH SUMMARY
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Landspitali University Hospital, 2Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, 3Lækning Health Care
Centre, Lágmúla, Reykjavík
Keyword: Asbestos, Asbestosis, Pleural Plaque, Lung Cancer
Correspondence: Gunnar Guðmundsson ggudmund@landspitali.is
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