Deaths caused by asbestos-related mesothelioma and lung cancer in Japan could reach 85,000, Environment Ministry sources said in an estimate Tuesday.
The ministry calculated this figure as part of efforts to determine the scope of financial resources needed for a new bill aimed at providing relief for victims of health problems associated with asbestos and will discuss them with other government organs, the sources said.
The ministry's statistics, however, do not take into account such factors as the effects of restrictions that have been placed on the use of asbestos and the differences in the incidence of the illnesses according to the type of asbestos, the sources said.