News:

News text:

The article cited below described the genesis and content of an open letter about the asbestos scandal in Western Hungary. Dániel Holdosi, a campaigner from the town of Szombathely, described how he contacted Laurie Kazan-Allen, the Coordinator of the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, and together they reached out to asbestos victims’ groups and others in Latin America, Asia, Europe and Oceania for support of efforts to highlight the public health hazard posed by asbestos-contaminated roads. See: Több, mint 250 kisgyerek életét forgatta fel az azbeszt-ügy - Így hajtotta ki a nyílt levelet a szombathelyi családapa (videó) [The asbestos case turned the lives of more than 250 young children upside down – This is how the father of a family from Szombathely wrote the open letter (video)].

Earlier this week it was announced that in 2027 Australia’s Labor Government would, under the New South Wales (NSW) Asbestos Plan of Action, be launching a $9 million two-year trial allowing NSW households to have asbestos waste picked up and disposed of for free. This initiative is intended to reduce the amount of asbestos debris currently being illegally disposed of and “create safer environments for workers and the community.” Illegal fly-tipping is a serious problem across NSW costing councils millions of dollars each year to clean up. See: Making It Free To Dispose Of Household Asbestos Waste.

Last year, the US Federal Drugs Administration unceremoniously axed federal government plans to require manufacturers of talc-based cosmetics to test them for asbestos contamination. This U-turn was contained in an order signed by Robert Kennedy Jr, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. Information disclosed in the article cited below suggested that Kennedy had no knowledge of that order. It was proposed by the author that the impetus for the cancellation of the regulation was a visit to the White House by executives from Johnson & Johnson, a company currently being sued by tens of thousands of US cancer victims. See: MAGA Alliance Fractures Over Toxic Talc As Donald Trump Allegedly Abandons Asbestos Checks To Please Billionaire Execs.

On July 2, 2026, updates for contaminated toys – containing up to 3.23% of asbestos by weight – appeared on the EU’s Safety Gate website. The notifying authority was France. All of the affected products originated in China. They were:
 
Alert number: SR/01813/26 - Sand-filled figurine toy Stretch squad
 
Alert number: SR/00980/26 - My living worm world
 
Alert number: SR/01814/26 - Stretch Monsters. Invincible heroes.

Parliamentary Early Day Motion (EDM) 503 was tabled on July 1, 2026 by MP Ian Lavery, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Asbestos Sub-Group. The text recognized the personal cost of the national asbestos legacy, acknowledged that July 3 was Action Mesothelioma Day, paid tribute to all the groups working throughout the country to support asbestos victims and called on the former asbestos giant Cape PLC to contribute £10 million towards mesothelioma research. As of July 4, 20 MPs had signed the EDM: 13 Labour, 4 Greens, 2 Liberal Democrats and 1 from the Democratic Unionist Party. See: Early Day Motion (EDM) 503. Action Mesothelioma Day 2026.

Following the publication of damning results from laboratory tests of asbestos-contaminated sand, on July 3, 2026 it was reported that Professor David McBride, an expert on environmental medicine from the University of Otago, had called on the government to immediately ban all suspect products. Responding to this recommendation, New Zealand’s Consumer Affairs Minister Cameron Brewer said urgent consultations were ongoing and included the option of a ban. See: Call for ban of imported play sand due to asbestos fears.

On July 2, 2026 results we had been waiting for were published which confirmed suspicions that asbestos fibers were liberated during simulated play with contaminated sand. Upon receiving a report from the Auckland research group, the Ministry of Health reconvened an advisory group to assess the findings; its chief medical officer confirmed that the disturbing news would be of concern to the public, parents and caregivers. New Zealand’s Commerce Commission announced that it had opened an investigation into what consumers were told. See: ‘Incredibly disheartening’: Airborne asbestos found in children's play sand.

On July 1, 2026, the UK’s Office of Product and Safety Standards (OPSS) announced that three more toys had been recalled due to asbestos contamination. They were all made in China. See product recalls:
 
Galt Sand Stickers Craft Kit (2607-0015)
 
Fun Sand Art Bottle Kit (2607-0020)
 
Tickit Sensory Blocks (2606-0321)
 
In total, in 2026 the OPSS issued 44 recalls for children’s play products contaminated with asbestos (see: Total Recalls for children’s play products in 2026.

Asbestos contamination of Hyden Primary School in regional Western Australia (WA) is a source of concern to parents. In June, asbestos debris was, once again, found in the school playground. According to Catherine Mayfield, president of the parents and citizens association, similar finds have been made over the last 12 years. In letters from parents to the WA Education Minister Sabine Winton, calls were made for a comprehensive assessment of the situation and “the urgent removal of contaminated materials.” See: Parents say ‘not enough’ being done to stop asbestos in WA school.

A legal case brought by Marshal Claudio Apicella, a 78-year-old former engineer in the Italian Navy was finally resolved last week after battles at the Court of Appeal of Florence and the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court), when the Council of State recognized his right to fair compensation for his occupational injuries. The claimant contracted asbestosis and pleural plaques due to asbestos exposures during 33-years of military service. See: Amianto: dopo una lunga battaglia legale il Consiglio di Stato dà ragione all’ex finanziere di Porto Santo Stefano [Asbestos: after a long legal battle, the Council of State agrees with the former financier of Porto Santo Stefano].

Following the discovery of asbestos-contaminated roads in Hungary, investigations by Greenpeace in Austria revealed that several streets in Vienna were similarly affected. The source of the toxic material were mines in Austria which had sold mining waste for use as aggregates in the construction of road surfaces. According to a spokesperson for Greenpeace's Austrian investigative team: “an on-site inspection showed that the asbestos stones were already heavily eroded, so vehicles passing through could potentially release asbestos fibres.” See: Azbesztet talált a Greenpeace több bécsi utca aszfaltjában [Greenpeace found asbestos in the asphalt of several streets in Vienna].

Research by Hungarian academics published in mid-June 2026 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health confirmed that: “asbestos-containing brake and clutch materials are still present in hazardous waste streams in Hungary nearly two decades after the EU ban.” According to the co-authors of the paper, the evidence revealed by their investigations suggested that unsafe procedures used for handling and disposing of this material allowed toxic occupational exposures to persist long after asbestos use had been outlawed. See: Persistence of Asbestos-Containing Friction Materials in the Hungarian Waste Stream Twenty Years After the European Union Ban.

On June 29, 2026 the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission of Ireland recalled: Glitter and Glow Magical Sand Art Kit and Various Squishy Toys because of asbestos contamination.
 
According to the notification: “The products present a risk to health as the sand may contain asbestos. Asbestos is a banned substance across the EU because it poses a risk to health.”

Two days before Action Mesothelioma Day (July 3), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released new data on annual work-related fatalities including mesothelioma (see: Mesothelioma statistics for Great Britain, 2026). In 2024, there were 2,146 deaths from mesothelioma in Great Britain, 83% of which (1,771) were male and 17% female (375). According to the data: “Over 70% of annual deaths for both males and females now occur in those aged over 75 years. Annual deaths in this age group continue to increase while deaths below age 65 are decreasing.” See: HSE Press Release.

Last week, the Flemish government announced that it had broken off negotiations with Eternit/Etex over plans for the former asbestos conglomerate to pay for the eradication of contamination caused by its operations. The Flanders Government will now restart proceedings against the former asbestos cement producer. The Government had reached a deal with Eternit in 2014 over asbestos cement waste in the gardens and driveways of residents in Kapelle op den Bos and surrounding municipalities, under which the company agreed to pay 4.8 million euros by 2030. According to former Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir, that sum was insufficient. See: Vlaanderen stopt onderhandelingen met Eternit en stapt opnieuw naar de rechter [Flanders stops negotiations with Eternit and goes to court again].

On June 29 2026, an article was uploaded which featured news about the Shaanxi South Asbestos Mine in Ningqiang County, Hanzhong; it is the only large-scale chrysotile asbestos mine in Shaanxi Province. It is one of China’s 8th largest asbestos production facilities. According to the text: “the mining conditions are excellent.” However, a picture illustrating the article of an unprotected miner in an incredibly dusty landscape suggested that this statement was not true. See: 汉中石棉矿全国八大核心基地之一?宁强独家产地 成矿干货全揭秘 [Is Hanzhong one of the eight core bases of asbestos mining nationwide? Ningqiang's exclusive production area: the full secrets of mineral development].

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]

Global concern over dangerous discoveries in Hungary prompted campaigning groups from around the world to issue a formal statement regarding the “unfolding health emergency in the Hungarian town of Szombathely.” In the Open Letter to Hungarian and EU officials, the signatories stressed that: “The situation is time critical. The health of nearly 1,500 local residents as well as ~1,000 people living in the surrounding streets is being endangered every single day, with children at the highest risk of contracting asbestos-related cancers and diseases!” Government and EU officials in Budapest and Brussels were urged “to stand in solidarity with Szombathely and protect the health of all those at risk from this man-made disaster” (click ide a magyar verzióért of this letter). [Read full article]

Indonesia is a significant asbestos market, both in terms of the amount of asbestos it imports and its strategic importance. To compensate for the collapse of global demand, asbestos vested interests are fighting tooth and nail to protect this market and others like it. Despite the backroom deals and political pressure – as evinced by the latest asbestos industry initiative designed to lock Indonesia into many more years of asbestos imports and use – grassroots campaigners continue their efforts to end the slaughter by raising asbestos awareness, progressing multi-stakeholder collaborations and using well-honed tactics to implement an effective and targeted strategy to eradicate asbestos-related deaths. [Read full article]

June 13, 2026 was a day of surprises. Within a few hours, news was circulated of landmark developments substantiating progress made in the fight for asbestos victims’ rights in Brazil, the UK and Belgium. To someone who is “old school” when it comes to the news, the fact that the links for all these stories came via social media posts rather than mainstream media sources was disconcerting. It pains me to say – as I am no lover of social media – that, from what I have seen, when you are looking for news of real substance the place to look is no longer traditional outlets but hysteria-free platforms like LinkedIn. [Read full article]

IBAS is delighted to be hosting the English translation of a Portuguese language editorial uploaded last week (see: Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto: 30 anos de luta pelos direitos dos trabalhadores) to the website of the Brazilian Journal of Occupational Health. Permission to do so was granted by coauthor Leila Posenato Garcia. Reflecting on the importance of the work accomplished since 1995 by the Brazilian Association of Asbestos Exposed Workers (ABREA), the authors recognized that “ABREA’s trajectory is intertwined with the construction of the Occupational Health field in Brazil.” [Read full article]

IBAS is privileged to upload this article by K. Ambroise Troveh, a specialist in transmission electron microscopy and hazardous fiber analysis. This feature highlighted the gap in African countries between the “promulgation of prohibitive texts and the very limited enforcement and monitoring mechanisms on the ground.” As nations in the Global North banned asbestos use, manufacturers targeted African markets in countries “under severe budgetary constraints.” Low levels of public asbestos awareness and lack of technical capacity and epidemiological data deterred governments from addressing asbestos challenges. Organizations such as the pan-African OHS Africa Foundation and the Inter-African Committee of Asbestos Experts are working assiduously to remedy this situation. [Read full article]

A recent investigation by a network of concerned citizens revealed that a toy found to be carcinogenic by multiple national authorities and media outlets was being sold via online marketplaces in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin and North America. Considering the sophisticated communications of e-commerce platforms in 2026, it is beyond belief that retailers such as Ozon in Eastern Europe, Amazon India, Rozetka in Ukraine and educational toy specialists like GoodDo Bangladesh and Fangotoys Ecuador were unaware of the evidence documenting the very real health hazard posed by the use of the toxic toy: WordPad. Until there are strict regulations of global e-commerce marketplaces and meaningful punishments for transgressors, none of our children will be safe. [Read full article]

On May 27, 2026, a grassroots coalition representing asbestos victims, environmental, consumer and health activists from around the world bestowed the IBAS Award 2026 for Outstanding Grassroots Activism on the “Asbestos. Not Here. Not Anywhere” campaign. This groundbreaking initiative was spearheaded by Australia’s Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA. Citing the leadership and organizational skills of APHEDA personnel, the award also recognized the expertise and support of Australian and international collaborators which were pivotal to the substantive results achieved in key asbestos-consuming countries. [Read full article]

On May 21, 2026, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall for models 17451 and 41929 of Orb Funkee Squeeze Toys, which had been imported from Canada and manufactured in China: “The recalled Orb Funkee squeeze toys may contain fibrous tremolite (asbestos) in the sand, which can cause adverse health issues if inhaled.” The same two models had been recalled due to asbestos contamination in the UK on March 6 along with five other models sold by the same company. Given that the US toy market is the world’s biggest customer for Chinese toy exports, it is unlikely that the recall issued on May 21st will be the last. [Read full article]

Whilst residents, and both municipal and provincial politicians, continued to struggle with hundreds of asbestos incidents in Western Hungary, 2,500 miles away festivities were held to celebrate the asbestos industry in Russian mining towns. At the same time as Hungarian police were investigating the discovery of asbestos-contaminated crushed stone on streets in the city of Szombathely, in the Russian municipalities of Asbestos and Yasny officials, asbestos workers and local people were commemorating International Chrysotile Protection Day and denouncing “the fierce anti-asbestos campaign…” threatening their industry. [Read full article]

When it comes to asbestos, I have learned that nothing is ever straightforward. For that reason it pays to closely investigate the facts as they are presented. Earlier this week, I happened to chance upon a document uploaded in February 2026 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) which showed stunning decreases in global asbestos output in 2024 & 2025 as well as a rapid decline in Russian asbestos production levels. As Russia has for decades been the world’s largest asbestos supplier, the data was both pertinent and encouraging. Unfortunately, the reality was slightly different to that suggested by the data. [Read full article]

In an open letter to UK Minister Kate Dearden which was uploaded today (May 1), representatives of UK asbestos victim support groups, campaigning organizations and asbestos cancer charities expressed concern about government delays in addressing the health hazard posed by the import of sand, playsets and stretchy toys contaminated with asbestos. News of a recent EU trade mission to China to discuss the need to remove “dangerous toys from the market before they reach children…” was reported. “In 2026, there is,” the letter concluded “no excuse for the sale of carcinogenic children’s toys in the UK.” [Read full article]

On April 15, 2026, the Asbestos Sub-Group of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health held a two-hour event entitled Asbestos: Protecting Tomorrow’s Victims, Protecting Today’s Patients in the House of Commons. Each of the presentations constituted a vital part in creating a panorama of ongoing national asbestos challenges. From the lived experiences of a mesothelioma sufferer, to the legal torture of securing compensation, to the battle for timely and state-of-the-art medical care, to the solutions for eradicating the asbestos hazard, each subject was succinctly, straightforwardly and sympathetically explained. [Read full article]

The fallout from the import of asbestos-contaminated toys from China continues, with a huge range of responses from national regulators. While some acted promptly to protect children, others remained in denial about the hazard. Oversight protocols introduced prior to the explosion of e-commerce trade via online marketplaces were blamed for the loopholes through which dangerous items were allowed to enter retail product streams. Earlier this month, an EU delegation to China discussed what needs to be done “to ensure companies are held accountable when rules are not followed.” [Read full article]

On April 2, 2026 a news release was featured on the website of the Building and Wood Workers’ International which expressed the serious concerns of dozens of civil society groups about foreign intervention in the democratic process to derail well-established plans to end asbestos import and use in Malaysia. The global mouthpiece representing asbestos vested interests – the International Chrysotile Association (ICA) – was accused of “once again attempting to hijack our national policy” and subvert work to implement national prohibitions. “Banning asbestos is,” the text said “fundamentally a matter of national interest… Our fate and our health must be decided by Malaysians, for Malaysians. Leave no room for the asbestos industry to dictate our future.” [Read full article]

On April 2, 2026, 300 delegates convened in Cambodia’s capital for a government-sponsored consultation to examine the country’s strategy for implementing asbestos prohibitions. Central to the discussions was a 60-page publication launched at the meeting: the Economic Impact Assessment Related to the Use of Asbestos (EIA). To this end, one of the EIA’s authors was in attendance to answer questions. The Executive Summary of the EIA was uncompromising in its findings: “The economic assessment of a proposed ban on asbestos containing materials and raw asbestos fibres was found to be economically viable, with the health benefits from avoided disease far outweighing the cost of implementation and transition by a ratio of 4:1, even under conservative assumptions.” [Read full article]

Latest Articles:    click titles twice for full article

Topics:

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.

From Article: