A new study of residents from Libby, Mont., the town where more than 1,500 people have fallen ill from asbestos-contaminated mines, links asbestos exposure with three autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Previous research found high rates of asbestos-related lung diseases, including the rare cancer mesothelioma, among miners in Libby. The town’s mines once supplied the United States with most of its vermiculite, a mineral used for insulation and gardening.
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