A new registry launched by Quebec’s Asbestos Victims Association (AVAQ) shows that more than 3,000 public buildings in the province contain asbestos.
“Asbestos is such a toxic material and very low doses of exposure can cause huge problems,” says epidemiologist Norman King.
The registry compiled data from different sources, including provincial government reports and access-to-information requests.
King, who is also a scientific adviser with AVAQ, says the biggest risk with asbestos is mesothelioma — a rare cancer of the lining of the lung.
“It has nothing to do with tobacco smoke. Amazingly enough, the only known cause for mesothelioma is asbestos exposure,” King said.
He adds construction workers are especially at risk.
That’s a concern for workers in the industry, says Simon Lévesque, an occupational health and safety coordinator with FTQ Construction.
“The main cause of work-related death for construction workers is due to asbestos,” he says.
About 100 Quebecers die from mesothelioma every year. The cancer takes …