08/11/2007
The asbestos related diseases of 11 inhabitants of Aulnay-sous-Bois, a town in the north-eastern region of Paris (Seine-Saint-Denis), were caused by a former plant where asbestos used to be crushed during decades. The findings were proved by a study carried out by the InVS, the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance.

The study, launched in 2005, was initiated to find out if these cases were caused by environmental or occupational exposure to asbestos. The Aulnay asbestos factory has proved to be responsible for 21 cases identified in the study. Out of these 21 cases, 11 were caused by environmental exposure to the lethal substance. Among these 11 environmental victims of asbestos, 4 are suffering from mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer.

The manufacturing of asbestos in Aulnay started in 1938 and the plant was closed down in 1991. Together with the development of the town, the asbestos manufacturing in Aulnay increasingly exposed a huge number of people to asbestos dust. During the '90s, the family of a victim of mesothelioma lodged a complaint against the Aulnay asbestos factory. According to the family, the illness was caused by exposure to asbestos dust when the victim was a child who attended the primary school situated opposite the factory.

Five cases of pleural mesothelioma among employees of the Jussieu university campus, in the center of Paris, were also reported in another InVS study. The Institute investigated whether the risk of mesothelioma being associated with passive occupational exposure to asbestos in insulated buildings. These results highlight the fact that passive exposure to asbestos related pollution in insulated workplaces has a significant impact on health.

• More details on the studies (in French)