UKATA Health Risks 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which occupational group has historically been at the highest risk of asbestos-related disease in the UK?
- Office workers
- Building maintenance and construction workers (Correct answer)
- Agricultural workers
- Retail staff
Correct answer: Building maintenance and construction workers
Building maintenance and construction workers, including plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and demolition workers, have historically been at highest risk. They are most likely to disturb asbestos-containing materials during their work.
Question 2: What is the current UK workplace exposure limit (WEL) for asbestos?
- 0.01 fibres per ml of air
- 0.1 fibres per ml of air (Correct answer)
- 1.0 fibres per ml of air
- 10 fibres per ml of air
Correct answer: 0.1 fibres per ml of air
The UK workplace exposure limit for asbestos is 0.1 fibres per millilitre of air, averaged over a continuous 4-hour period. This applies to all types of asbestos and must not be exceeded.
Question 3: Lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure differs from mesothelioma in that:
- It only affects non-smokers
- It develops in the lung tissue itself, not the lining (Correct answer)
- It is never fatal
- It only develops within 5 years of exposure
Correct answer: It develops in the lung tissue itself, not the lining
Asbestos-related lung cancer develops in the lung tissue itself, whereas mesothelioma develops in the lining (mesothelium). Smoking combined with asbestos exposure dramatically increases lung cancer risk — up to 50 times greater than a non-exposed non-smoker.
Question 4: What happens to asbestos fibres once they are inhaled into the lungs?
- They dissolve within a few weeks
- They are coughed out naturally within months
- They become permanently lodged in the lung tissue (Correct answer)
- They are absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted
Correct answer: They become permanently lodged in the lung tissue
Once inhaled, asbestos fibres become permanently lodged in the lung tissue. The body cannot break down or remove these fibres, which is why they cause ongoing damage and disease development over many years.
Question 5: How does smoking interact with asbestos exposure regarding lung cancer risk?
- Smoking has no effect on asbestos-related risk
- Smoking slightly increases the risk
- Smoking multiplies the risk by up to 50 times (Correct answer)
- Smoking actually protects against asbestos fibres
Correct answer: Smoking multiplies the risk by up to 50 times
Smoking combined with asbestos exposure has a synergistic effect, multiplying the risk of developing lung cancer by up to 50 times compared to someone who neither smokes nor is exposed to asbestos.
Question 6: What is diffuse pleural thickening?
- A form of lung cancer
- Extensive scarring and thickening of the lung lining that can restrict breathing (Correct answer)
- A temporary inflammation that resolves on its own
- An allergic reaction that occurs immediately after exposure
Correct answer: Extensive scarring and thickening of the lung lining that can restrict breathing
Diffuse pleural thickening is extensive scarring and thickening of the pleura (lung lining) caused by asbestos exposure. Unlike pleural plaques, it can cause significant breathlessness by restricting the lungs' ability to expand.
UKATA Health Risks 2
Which occupational group has historically been at the highest risk of asbestos-related disease in the UK?