You're not wrong.  The article is hyperbole, that much is for sure. Engineers don't typically consider the health impacts of the decisions in a design, the concerns usually end somewhere between safe operation and ideal performance, not necessarily the secondary or health effects from the operation of designs.    Ex; asbestos is an excellent insulator, a big reason why it was used for so long, it wasn't until decades of use that the health effects were discovered. So, you're not wrong and to stick with the analog, unless the person who figured to use asbestos was familiar with the health impacts of inhaling the dust, could not really consider it a weapon.