A new study co-authored by C&IH advances the methodology of modeling exposure thresholds for asbestos-related mesothelioma, offering fresh insight into how different fiber types may exhibit distinct dose-response behaviors. The article,
“Comparison of various methodological approaches to model asbestos thresholds for mesothelioma,” was published in 2025 in
Frontiers in Public Health, by Dr. Julie Goodman of Gradient, Dr. Andrey Korchevskiy of C&IH, and Dr. Ann Wylie of the University of Maryland and C&IH.
The authors reviewed multiple modelling strategies, including epidemiological meta-analyses, lung-burden data, and registry-based modelling (such as the SEER Program), and fitted threshold-based dose-response models to human data for various asbestos types and elongate mineral particles (EMPs).
Key findings of the study include:
- Evidence suggests thresholds may exist for certain fiber characteristics (width, length, surface area) with respect to mesothelioma risk.
- For non-textile chrysotile, the central estimate of a cumulative-exposure threshold was approximately 90 f/cc-years.
- In modelling for amphiboles (amosite, crocidolite), hypothetical threshold levels were estimated at ~1.04 f/cc-years and ~0.25 f/cc-years respectively, underscoring the wide variation between fiber types.
The authors conclude that while significant uncertainty remains, modelling from multiple scientific angles bolsters the plausibility of fiber-type-specific exposure thresholds for mesothelioma.
Read the full article
