Why is chrysotile still used in many countries around the world?

(Tienphong.vn) In the early years of the 20th century, to serve the strong industrial development, especially during World War II, all types of asbestos including brown and blue asbestos were mined and used with large scale.

Anh Bai 6

Buildings in Russia are made of colored AC sheet that cost similar to traditional AC sheets.

They are colored by using technology and rudimentary tools to spray directly on the ceilings of buildings. Workers who are not equipped with labor protection have been exposed to brown and blue asbestos for a long time, causing serious health consequences.

Today, studies have shown that chrysotile with a soft, spongy fiber structure and a cylindrical fiber structure, is the only fiber that is safe to be used in a controlled manner. Therefore, when brown and blue asbestos is banned in the whole world, only white asbestos fibers are allowed to be used under conditions to ensure safety for human health and the environment.

From the world’s leading industrial countries…

Last May, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the rules for asbestos-containing products in the United States. The code states that EPA will not issue any ban on plumbing products and AC sheets in the United States.

In the US, asbestos is mined in 17 states including the Appalachian, California and Oregon. The late 1960s and early 1970s were considered to be a period of extreme development when more than 103 thousand tons of asbestos (both brown, blue and white fibers) were used in industries every year. Currently, two types of brown and blue asbestos fibers have been completely banned in the US. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, rejected the proposal to ban white asbestos because there was no conclusive scientific evidence for their ability to cause disease. To protect public health, the US Government set the maximum concentration of white asbestos fibers in the air to be 0.1 fibers/cc in 8 working hours.

China is the largest consumer of chrysotile in the world with about 500 thousand tons of chrysotile per year, and is also the world’s second largest asbestos mining site after Russia. About 70-80% of asbestos is used domestically to produce fibro cement products, the rest is used in the production of friction materials, insulation, textiles …

The national government supports the use of controlled chrysotile as the main cause of mesothelioma in China was determined not by exposure to chrysotile. However, to ensure safety in production, the law of this country set a maximum concentration of white asbestos of 2mg/m3.

Russia is the world’s largest chrysotile producer with more than 40,000 workers in this field.

Uralasbest mine is located in Asbest city – a city of 130 years old with a population of up to 80 thousand people. The buildings, roads, and pipelines in this place are made from fibro cement. Many families have up to 3 generations worked in this industry. The health indicators of this city are always on average level like other regions in Russia. No cases of cancer have been reported as a result of exposure to chrysotile when the city uses safe practices.

..to neighboring countries with the similar conditions to Vietnam

Thailand is a country with many similarities to Vietnam in terms of economic, society as well as climatic environment. White asbestos fiber is completely imported mainly to produce AC roof sheets, plumbing and brake pads since 1938. The production of chrysotile increased by 21.13% from 33,896 tons in 2016 to 41,060 tons in 2017 and 44,591 tons in 2018. Expected to increase more than 45,000 tons by the end of 2019.

Roofs use traditional AC sheets and colored cement fibro sheets in Thailand.

In the latest resolution on December 2nd, 2014, the Thai Cabinet rejected the Ministry of Public Health’s proposal to ban asbestos in Thailand, citing a lack of evidence of asbestos-related diseases. Dr. Somchai Bavornkitti, a respiratory disease expert and member of the Royal Institute of Social Affairs, has confirmed that there have been no cases of diseases caused by exposure to chrysotile in Thailand.

In Indonesia, chrysotile has been used since 1950 and no case of chrysotile disease has been found in the country. The country currently has 26 industries with 7,000 workers engaged in the production of materials containing chrysotile. Although Indonesia has banned blue-brown asbestos since 2001, white asbestos is still used in a controlled manner with a maximum fiber concentration of 0.1 fibers/cc. Statistics show that more than 6 million households in the country are still using AC roof sheets.

In Laos, there are currently 9 registered establishments producing cement tiles in 5 provinces with a total capacity of 8,066 tons per year. Chrysotile is the only fiber imported and used in this country. Between 2010 and 2013, Laos imported 21,000 tons of chrysotile mainly from China, Russia, and Kazakhstan. There is no data to document asbestos causing death or serious illness in this country. Asbestos-related diseases are not on the list of health problems considered by WHO as Laos’ top priority.

Vietnam has used chrysotile to make AC roof sheets since 1963. Scientific studies in the country have demonstrated no cases of diseases caused by exposure to chrysotile or under roofs. However, the debate over whether or not to ban chrysotile has been going on for more than 20 years but has not come to an end, making roof sheet businesses miserable, impossible, and not finished. Concerns about whether or not a trade war wants to replace asbestos fiber sheets with other competing products to dominate the market of low-grade roofing sheets.

In conclusion

Speaking at a field trip of Vietnamese Ministries in Russia in late June 2019 on WHO recommendations regarding the effects of chrysotile on human health, Representative of the Ministry of Health stated that: “We should not talk about the views of the Russian Federation or any other country because each country has different economic or political interests”. Therefore, we should discuss about scientific research. International studies on the health of people and workers in the Russian mining city have proved that there is no case of diseases if we control the concentration of chrysotile fiber dust in the air. Any substances, if used uncontrollably, affects human health, and it is important to always take safety measures.