Although the asbestos disaster is not a recent phenomenon, comprehensive studies
have not been developed with an interdisciplinary approach to elucidate the
problem.
Most asbestos studies have been conducted in medical science, but social
science has not produced satisfactory investigations. Because asbestos issues as
well as those in other kinds of pollution have been decisively influenced by social,
economic, and political structures, the social sciences should contribute to studying
them by integrating natural sciences. Even in social science, segmented specialties
have hindered comprehensive understanding of asbestos issues. For example,
although the asbestos disaster comprises both labor and environmental issues, they
have been divided into economic and legal aspects.