CHRYSOTILE ASBESTOS

sbestos is still being mined, manufactured into products, and widely used in the United States and other countries. Of the three types of asbestos, only chrysotile is still used, and that’s because, according to experts convened by the World Health Organization (WHO), its less dusty crystaline structure, allows it to more easily be eliminated from the body than other asbestos. “Chrysotile-cement products do not present risks of any significance to public health”. [This sounds just like the information we were given about the air at the site of the 9/11 attacks, too.] This asbestos is formed into pipes, shingles, vehicle brake pads, linings and blocks, clutch plates, and in gaskets. Chrysotile was used in insulation, cement materials, vinyl floor tiles, and sealants, so it will still be present in these old materials. The premise for the safe claim is that asbestos in these products is encased in a resin or cement, which prevents the fibers from escaping into the environment. And according to these same experts, those who work to manufacture, install, or remove this asbestos “are not exposed to any detectable risk when effective prevention and control measures are applied.”1 [Am I the only one who’s skeptical about this?]

Here is a small portion of what I found out about chrysotile asbestos:

• The WHO (separate from the experts convened by the WHO) stated in 2006 that chrysotile is a human carcinogen.2
• France has banned the manufacture, import, and sale of chrysotile asbestos products.
• The European Union banned chrysotile asbestos as of January 1, 2005. Kartika Liotard, Member of the European Parliament, the Netherlands and Chair of the European Asbestos Conference 2005 declares that this chemical “has been found to be carcinogenic by the International Labor Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the International Programme on Chemical Safety, the Collegium Ramazzini, and the World Trade Organization. These international bodies agree that all types of asbestos are deadly and should not be used.”
• In 2000, the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) launched a worldwide campaign, urging for a global ban of chrysotile. BWI is a Global Trade Union Federation representing 350 trade unions with a membership of approximately 13 million workers in 135 countries.3
• Carl Smith, Vice President, Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education states: “From an occupational health perspective, there was and is no doubt that chrysotile is unusually hazardous.”4
• In February 1999, the National Industrial Chemical Notification and Assessments Scheme (NICNAS) assessed chrysotile and determined that breathing chrysotile dust causes lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Their recommendation was that all use of it be phased out.5
• New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, has banned chrysotile from use for all purposes.6
• In the Fall of 1994, OSHA’s August press release stated: “OSHA is reaffirming its position that chrysotile is as dangerous as other forms of asbestos.”7
• “Evaluation of all of the evidence indicates that chrysotile asbestos presents a similar significant risk of lung cancer and asbestosis as other forms of asbestos. Since these adverse health effects constitute the majority of diseases related to asbestos exposure, OSHA is still of the opinion that chrysotile exposure should be treated the same as other forms of asbestos.”8

1. http://lungdiseases.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/g/chrysotile_def.htm
2. United Nations Environment Programme
3. Appeal By The BWI; by Anita Normark; BWI General Secretary; European Asbestos Conference 2005
4. http://www.lkaz.demon.co.uk/chrys_hazard_rott_conv_06.pdf
5. NICNAS Safety Sheet # 8; 2000
6. WorkCover; New South Wales, Australia. WorkCover NSW is a statutory authority within the Minister for Commerce's portfolio.
7. British Asbestos Newsletter; Issue 17; Autumn 1994
8. www.osha.gov Section 3: Summary & Explanation of Revised Standards