Category: FAQs

In fact, there were production lines adopted to Vietnam claiming to produce non-chrysotile roof sheets. However, the testing results still found a certain amount of chrystile in the product. Also, the price diffirence is up to 60%. 

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Vice President and General Secretary of Vietnam Standard and Consumers Association, stated on VOV Online Discussion aired from 14:00 to 16:00 on April 25th 2015 that: “Chrysotile caused an explosion in Hanoi”.

At present, there are 57 countries worldwide prohibit the use of asbestos while 147 countries and territories allow the use of chrysotile and products containing chrysotile. Those countries are G8 countries: the United States of America, Canada, Russia, and Mexico, Brazil, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, etc.

At present, there are about 3,000 existing products made from chrysotile and chrysotile is used in manufacturing roof covering materials, textile, plastic, rubber, stove’s doors, material to cover holes in high-temperature area, paper, army’s equipment, national security and nuclear power industry, etc.

In 8 cases are diagnosed with mesothelioma by Japanese specialists, no case has clear history of occupational exposure to asbestos.

All of national studies on chrysotile are conducted by sector-leading professors and doctors with many years of experience in the field, thereofre, the results are trustworthy.

One kilogram of asbestos increases the risk of mesothelioma by 2.4 times. For every 170 tons of asbestos consumed, there is one case of mesothelioma. – Dr. Pham Duc Phuc (Vietnam Public Health Association) spoke in the Conference on Scientific grounds to protect public health against asbestos’ harmful effect (December 23rd 2014) organized by EBHPD (a member of VN-BAN), VIHEMA, Vietnam Public Health Association (VPHA), Oxfam’s Allies Support Program and WHO.

It is necessary for Vietnam to study for a comprehensive assessment of its own problem to find the appropriate management measures in line with national situation and conditions.

Currently, it is not determined which exactly causes cancer. It is necessary to demonstrate a causal relationship to make conclusions and communicate in media.

This statement is illogical since the Occupational Disease Screening Program is conducted by reputable experts and doctors who have many years of experience in the field.

If the ban on chrysotile was based on the IARC Monograph, contraceptive pills, alcoholic beverage, wood dust, rubber industry, coal, coke production, underground mining, painting, outdoor air pollution, aluminum products, etc. because they are all in the Group 1 of carcinogens by IARC.

It is unlikely that asbestos is scattered to water leaked from the roofing sheets due to the hollow structure of chrysotile. When it is mixed with cement, cement fills hollows inside fibers to create a solid structure between fiber and cement, from which it is very difficult for asbestos to be emitted (only except for the case of drilling and boring). Indeed, scientific studies have proven this fact.

Many scientific studies showed that there was no increase in the cancer risk with controlled exposure to chrysotile of 1 fiber/mL. Most countries using chrysotile regulate the permissible dust concentration. For instance, permissible airborne asbestos dust concentration is 0.1 f/cm3 in the US, 1.0 f/cm3 in Canada, 0.15 f/cm3 – 0.5 f/cm3 in EU countries, 2.0 f/cm3 in Philippines, 1.0 f/cm3 in Indonesia, 5.0 f/cm3 in Thailand and 1.0 f/cm3 in Vietnam.

In Agenda item 12.13 – Global Action Plan of the WHA – about workers’ health indicated clearly that no prohibition is imposed on chrysotile.