Scientists claim they have developed a more sensitive test for the asbestosis

For more than 50 years, products containing asbestos remained unregulated. At some point in our lives, nearly all of us have been exposed to asbestos in the air we breathe and the water we drink; from natural deposits in the earth, and from the deterioration of asbestos products around us. Most of us, however, do not become ill as a result of our exposure.

Scientists claim they have developed a more sensitive test for the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma. The cancer develops long after exposure to asbestos but patients usually have a limited life expectancy. The test was developed by a team at Oxford University. Laws preventing occupational exposure to asbestos are in place in the developed world. There are no such restrictions in developing countries, however.