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The article cited below described the experiences of European migrants who worked in Western Australia’s (WA) infamous asbestos mine at Wittenoom. Having left their homes in Spain in the 1960s, the families were attracted to the mine by the high wages being offered. The immigrants had no idea that the decision to work in the Pilbara would be life-changing as well as life-ending. More than 2,000 people died from toxic exposures experienced in Wittenoom; this included mine workers but also family members as well as public officials and civil servants. This story by journalist Mónica Ceberio Belaza is highly recommended. See: The Spaniards in ‘Australia's Chernobyl’.

On September 25, 2026, Presiding Judge Kazuo Kikui at the Kyoto District Court ordered 5 building materials manufacturers to pay approximately 129 million yen (~US$101,000) in damages for failing to prevent asbestos exposures at construction worksites. The successful 22 claimants included the injured, who contracted lung cancer and/or malignant pleural mesothelioma, as well as bereaved family members. See: 建設現場でアスベスト吸い肺がんなど発症…建材メーカー5社に1億2900万円支払い命令「この判決は貴重な礎」[Asbestos inhalation at construction sites led to lung cancer and other developments... Orders to pay 129 million yen to five building material manufacturers: “This ruling is a valuable foundation”].

On September 9, 2026, a Regional Labor Court in the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro agreed that higher compensation awards were required to encourage companies to invest in prevention and discourage potentially dangerous cost-cutting measures. The case under adjudication involved a worker, with no work-related disability, who had been employed at an asbestos cement factory where he was occupationally exposed to asbestos. He was awarded compensation of R$500,000 (US$96,500) for moral damages. See: Magistrados alertam para alta de doença laboral: “ninguém deve trabalhar para adoecer” [Judges warn of a rise in work-related illnesses: “no one should work to get sick”].

The widespread use of asbestos-containing products throughout France left behind a nightmare scenario where many householders and property owners were unable to afford to pay for the removal and disposal of the banned material. To avoid illegal fly-tipping, the Lorient Agglomération – an inter-municipal framework in the Brittany region – launched a new service to assist private individuals to dispose of 250 kg of asbestos waste per year free of charge. See: Face aux dépôts sauvages, cette collectivité lance un service de collecte de l’amiante [Faced with illegal dumping, this community is launching an asbestos collection service].

It was announced last month that a new facility was opened in central Ukraine for asbestos testing of buildings and building waste. Before demolishing buildings or reusing building debris, laboratory personnel will “conduct sample testing using polarization microscopy in accordance with international ISO standards… The laboratory also conducts on-site sampling and accepts materials for testing from clients across Ukraine.” See: В Кривом Роге открыли лабораторию для проверки стройматериалов на асбест [A laboratory for testing building materials for asbestos has opened in Kryvyi Rih].

Asbestos disease data just released by the Berufsgenossenschaft der Bauwirtschaft (BG Bau) – “the statutory accident insurance institution for the construction sector and related services in Germany” – recorded 291 confirmed deaths from mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis; there were also 2,304 deaths suspected to be from asbestos-related occupational diseases. As the vast majority of German buildings still contained asbestos, the BG Bau stressed the importance of asbestos audits prior to the commencement of construction projects. Around 1,600 people die in Germany every year from asbestos-related diseases. See BG Bau: Asbest ist die häufigste Todesursache auf Baustellen [BG Bau: Asbestos is the most frequent cause of death on construction sites].

The well-argued commentary cited below detailed initial steps taken in India – the world’s biggest asbestos user and importer – to curtail toxic exposures and recognize victims. Notwithstanding these token efforts, people continue to die from environmental as well as occupational exposures. The author of the text argued that by banning asbestos “India would protect its own workers and families, and it would show a continent that development does not have to be built under a carcinogenic roof. This would mark a significant win for Indian diplomacy as well.” See: The silent killer over India’s roofs: Why it's time to ban asbestos.

On September 23, 2026, it was announced that a new eradication program would begin in January 2027 in the National Assembly – South Korea’s Parliament – to remove asbestos from the first floor of the main building. The sum of 846 million won (US$617,000) was allocated for the upcoming decontamination work. The specialist operatives will not remove the sprayed asbestos material applied to the ceiling during this phase of the program; previous investigations showed that it contained crocidolite (blue) asbestos. See: [단독] 국회, 내년 본관 1층 '석면' 제거 나선다 [[Exclusive] National Assembly to Remove Asbestos from the First Floor of the Main Building Next Year].

A news release by the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) explained its recent decision declaring a Goiás state law (2019) allowing asbestos mining to continue in contravention of a 2017 STF prohibition unconditional. In the notification it was reported that: “there are no safe levels of exposure to chrysotile asbestos, a mineral proven to be carcinogenic… [and] the Supreme Federal Court has several precedents prohibiting the extraction, industrialization, use, and commercialization of chrysotile asbestos throughout the national territory under any circumstances, including for export.” See: STF anula lei de Goiás que autorizava extração de amianto crisotila para exportação [Brazil's Supreme Court annuls Goiás state law authorizing the extraction of chrysotile asbestos for export].

It was reported on September 23, 2026 that Greenpeace Austria was calling on the Ministry of Education and the state school authorities to address growing public concerns regarding discoveries of asbestos contamination in the vicinity of 22 separate school premises in the east of the country. The asbestos was contained in gravel, asphalt, and grit used to pave streets and parking areas. Immediate action was needed, Greenpeace said, to protect children and school staff from potentially deadly exposures. See: „Könnte auch in Innenräume gelangt sein!“ : Asbest vor etlichen Kindergärten gemeldet [“Could also have entered indoor spaces!”: Asbestos reported in front of several kindergartens].

On September 18, 2026, the Compensation Fund for Asbestos Victims marked its first anniversary. The statistics released to mark the occasion did not make pleasant reading: the majority of applications for assistance were denied by the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), the body in charge of administering the scheme. Of the 474 applications received, the INSS rejected 344, 72%. The value of the successful claims was €6,344,794 euros (US$7.3m), approximately a quarter of the €25 million allocated for the year. See: Seven out of ten asbestos compensation claims are rejected.

The commentary cited below by a Brazilian lawyer involved in Supreme Court (STF) litigation over the unconstitutionality of a state asbestos exemption, analyzed the September 18, 2026 STF verdict which quashed the exemption. According to lawyer Milena Pinheiro: “there is no longer any pretext for continuing the mining activity, the extraction, packaging, and export of this material.” Although no date was given by the Court for the closure of the asbestos mine, Milena said “there would be no reason for a further extension of the deadline granted to the company.” See: “Não existe mais pretexto”: advogada defende fim da exploração de amianto em Goiás [“There is no more excuse”: lawyer argues for an end to asbestos mining in Goiás].

Protocols adopted on August 3, 2026 by the French Government will prevent the use of asbestos-contaminated gravel sourced from alluvial quarries. Previously, restrictions only applied to 16 quarries; the expanded list of regulated sites names 226 quarries with 60 classified as priority. The high-risk quarries must be assessed by August 2027. The reason given for the new rules was to prevent the use of gravel extracted from riverbeds which contained asbestos fibers. See: France extends asbestos screening protocol to 226 alluvial quarries.

According to an Asbestos Census of the Spanish City of Pamplona, launched at a September 21, 2026 press conference at the Town Hall, there are 262 asbestos-containing buildings within the city limits. The cost of remediating these structures was estimated at €6.75 million (US$7.7m). Most of the toxic properties identified were industrial buildings. See: El Ayuntamiento identifica 262 edificios con presencia de amianto y cifra en 6,75 millones el coste de su retirada [The Pamplona City Council has identified 262 buildings within its municipal boundaries containing asbestos, the removal of which will cost around 6.75 million euros].

Another toxic toy was recalled on September 17, 2026 by the EU’s rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products. The item recalled was a set of 16 blocks, partially made of wood and filled with sand. According to the EU alert: “The toy could rupture and the filling of the inside could come out. The sand inside contains asbestos (measured value up to 1.92% by weight). Asbestos could cause cancer.” The sensory blocks were made in China and were sold under the Tickit brand name. See: Alert number: SR/02546/26 - Sensory Blocks Set of 16.

Recent news about asbestos contamination across public spaces in Austria and Hungary raised concerns elsewhere including the US. In the article cited below, the authors Jean C. Pfau and Tracy McNew referenced their experience in Libby, Montana where asbestos-contaminated mining waste “was used throughout the town, including playgrounds and ball fields and remains at high levels throughout the mine area and surrounding lands.” They called for decision-makers at every level of government to prioritize public health and adopt a pro-active and precautionary approach using preventive methods which eliminated toxic exposures. See: Asbestos health effects: Future research and education needs.

After many twists and turns, adjournments, hearings, postponements and reversals, Brazil’s asbestos ban was upheld last week at the highest level. On September 18, 2026, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous verdict in litigation concerning a Goiás State law (2019) which allowed asbestos mining to continue – for export purposes only – in contravention of a national prohibition put in place in 2017 by the Court. Pursuant to the confirmation that the asbestos ban was inviolable and absolute, the Goiás law was declared unconstitutional. With the annulment of the state exemption for asbestos mining, the chrysotile asbestos mine operated by Sama Minerações Associadas, a subsidiary of Eternit, S.A., will be closed. [Read full article]

One lesson that every ban asbestos activist learns is the need for patience. There is no timetable for success and there are long periods when nothing seems to happen. This summer, however, was not one of them. Online reports over recent weeks indicated a seismic shift in the global asbestos debate. Even in countries where asbestos use remains legal, steps are being taken to reveal the human consequences and national costs incurred by the use of this outdated and deadly technology. As clearly shown by global asbestos trade data, consumers are increasingly choosing safer alternatives. In 2025, asbestos output was 960,000 tonnes, ~20% of the 1980 total. However you look at it, the industry is on a downward trajectory. The end cannot come soon enough. [Read full article]

India is the largest importer and user of asbestos in the world. Despite the ferocious lobbying by the asbestos sector, change is coming with the introduction of partial bans and the imposition of restrictions. Pursuant to a 2025 judgment of India’s National Green Tribunal, the Central Pollution Control Board launched a public consultation for the creation of guidelines for the “Installation, Dismantling and Disposal of Asbestos Cement Roofing Sheets, Asbestos Cement Wall Sheets and Asbestos Cement Pipes.” The deadline for submissions is September 17, 2026. [Read full article]

On September 8, 2026, NYC Mayor Mamdani told a press conference that 68 boxes of evidence detailing “what the city knew about toxic air around ground zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability” had been found. In the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Mayor announced that an online portal had been created with 170,000+ documents from the hidden archive. More documents will be uploaded in the coming months. Speaking at City Hall, the Mayor said: “People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air.” Asbestos was found “nearly everywhere” in the vicinity of ground zero; 10 months after the attack, health officials reported finding asbestos half a mile away from the site. [Read full article]

Dr Gregory Deleuil lived life to the full. He made the most of every chance to connect, assist and enjoy opportunities as they presented themselves. He was a medical practitioner who never lost the human touch and was often called upon by patients to translate into ordinary language the jargon transmitted by pulmonary and cancer specialists. He was trusted by his patients and their families who often became personal friends. He was an easy man to love and my whole family did so with gusto. When my son got ill with pneumonia in Perth, Greg treated him. When my daughter invited him to her wedding, he was there at the top table. We loved him to bits. This love will endure long after his passing. The world is a greyer and sadder place without him. [Read full article]

A recent entry on the schedule for Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF) revealed that a national asbestos litigation saga may finally be heading towards a resolution. After many setbacks, postponements and interruptions, the STF may be in a position to issue its judgment regarding the unconstitutionality of a Goiás State law which contravened a 2017 STF ruling outlawing the asbestos industry. Campaigners expressed “cautious optimism” that the contentious legislation will be quashed due to the advent of a new Goiás industry: the mining of the magnetic rare earths – neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium – at the Pela Ema mine in Minaçu, Goiás. [Read full article]

The launch in the Philippines of the National Framework for the Prevention of Asbestos-Related Diseases last month marked “a milestone moment” in the national campaign to end asbestos mortality. Rejecting disinformation and propaganda spread by asbestos vested interests, the actions outlined in the Framework accepted the fundamental tenet that: “there's no safe level of asbestos exposure, and tackling it takes everyone working together, not just one agency acting alone.” The comprehensive roadmap delineated at the July event by the Philippine Department of Health was supported by representatives from the government, unions, industry, health agencies and international organizations in attendance. [Read full article]

A Tribunal in New Zealand handed down a ruling on August 17, 2026 holding Kmart – a major toy retailer in Australasia – to account for all the costs incurred by consumers who purchased asbestos-contaminated toys sold by Kmart in Christchurch. As a media statement from Consumer NZ, an independent consumers’ advocacy group, explained: “this is the first Disputes Tribunal ruling in New Zealand concerning the recalled children’s sand.” The Tribunal found that the play sand was “unsafe, not fit for purpose and not of acceptable quality under the Consumer Guarantees Act.” We believe that this is the first such ruling anywhere which ordered a company to pay for decontamination of a claimant’s home and garden as well as other related costs. Thank you to Consumer NZ for permission to upload this text. [Read full article]

Powerful political forces are aligning in Indonesia to support grassroots efforts to eradicate the asbestos hazard from southeast Asia’s largest asbestos-consuming country. Following shortly after the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto issued a warning about the cancer hazard posed by the use of asbestos roofing, a statement was released by the Central Statistics Agency which categorized houses with asbestos roofs as “uninhabitable” because they did not meet building durability criteria and posed a health risk. The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Housing and Ministry of Environment strongly recommend that asbestos-free roofing should be used to protect Indonesians from toxic exposures to an acknowledged carcinogen. [Read full article]

A coalition of civil society groups representing asbestos victims, occupational health and safety campaigners and medical experts from Asia, Europe, Latin America and Australasia is delighted to announce the winners of The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat Children’s Champions Award 2026. All of the people and organizations recognized were “accidental activists” who were drawn into a critical situation not of their making. Individually and collectively they demanded answers about sales of potentially damaging children’s products in New Zealand and Australia. By so doing, they protected the lives of children at home and abroad. As UK campaigner Lynne Squibb said “The world is a safer place for the actions of Elle, David, Benjamin, Terri-Ann, Michael, Robert, Jason and their colleagues.” [Read full article]

With the interconnectivity facilitated by contemporary means of communication, news about the contamination of children’s toys broadcast in late 2025 in New Zealand and Australia reverberated around the world in a matter of days. The discoveries which led to the global alert set off a chain reaction which resulted in recalls of toxic toys in multiple jurisdictions. For the first time, the story of how a few routine tests in a Brisbane laboratory led to international outrage, consumer mobilization and political confusion is recounted by those involved. I’m in no doubt that you’ll be able to see it in a Netflix miniseries before too long, but in the meantime you can read all about it here. [Read full article]

Opposition is growing in India – the world’s biggest asbestos market – to it’s massive use of a mineral classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen. In 2024, 98,000 people in India died from lung cancer, a disease caused not only by smoking but also by exposures to asbestos and other toxins. Of course, lung cancer is not the only disease caused by asbestos exposures and there is no doubt that if the authorities investigate, they will find increasing numbers of patients with mesothelioma, cancers of the larynx and ovaries, asbestosis and pleural thickening. The data on the explosion in lung cancer incidence should be a wakeup call for Indian civil society and national regulators. The time has come for asbestos use to be phased out – it is a matter of life and death. [Read full article]

Whilst researching an article entitled: Report from the Asbestos Frontline: Summer 2026, I was astonished to see the widespread availability via online retail portals of products containing large amounts of asbestos, in some cases as much as 100%. Further investigations by colleagues in Malaysia, Ukraine, the Philippines, Indonesia and India, revealed a dizzying array of high-content asbestos material on sale in many Asian and East European countries. Despite the known risks posed by the use of products containing a group 1 carcinogen, there were no health hazard warnings visible in the advertisements. [Read full article]

There have been many historical events which took the world by surprise: the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the results of the Brexit referendum, to name just a few. Looking back, however, the signs were there if only people had stopped to look. A look at recent developments in the few asbestos-producing countries which remain indicates that change could be on the horizon. The fortunes of asbestos vested interests in Brazil, China, Russia and Kazakhstan are, like those of other commercial enterprises, susceptible to adverse judicial rulings, social and environmental trends, changing market forces and international sanctions. The writing is on the wall! [Read full article]

The war to end the asbestos slaughter is not just being fought in countries where asbestos use remains legal; battles are ongoing elsewhere over illegal sales of toxic products and historic environmental pollution. The foot soldiers in these skirmishes are parents, local people and regional politicians as well as civil society campaigners, all of whom face daunting challenges as they engage powerful industrial, commercial and government vested interests. A new text which documented key developments in Asia, Oceania and Europe this summer substantiated the author’s conclusion that: “In the fight to end asbestos mortality, there are no civilians: every one of us is on the frontline.” [Read full article]

Earlier this month (July), asbestos victims’ groups in England, Scotland and Wales. and UK cancer charities mounted a myriad of events to remember those lost to deadly asbestos-related diseases. New government data confirmed the lived experience of these campaigners: the country’s asbestos epidemic continues to cause a massive loss of life more than 20 years after asbestos was banned. New toxic exposures continue as a result of asbestos material remaining within the national infrastructure and the import and sale of asbestos-contaminated play sand, toys and decorative household goods. [Read full article]

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Demonstration in Woluwe Park, Brussels, 2006

Under cloudy skies, members of Belgian and French Asbestos Victims' Associations from Dunkirk and Bourgogne marched side-by-side in the third annual demonstration organized by ABEVA, the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims. Erik Jonckheere, ABEVA's Co-chairman, condemned the government which still refuses to recognize the plight of the asbestos injured.

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