Citizenship and professional disease: the case of asbestos

Abstract

Asbestos is a mineral fiber whose carcinogenic properties are scientifically proved. It's widely used and consumed in Brazil, in contrast to other countries where asbestos has been banned. The risks to people exposed, as workers and others environmentally exposed, have been remained socially invisible. One of the reasons for this invisibility is the lack of awareness of the harmful risks of the product by the Brazilian society and the workers. One of the goals ofABREA - Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto - is to give greater visibility to the dangerous uses of asbestos by the companies in Brazil, contributing to a public debate about asbestos through citizen action.