News Archive

The timely and astute commentary by Civil Engineer Rajeev Naik cited below highlighted how Indian vested interests continue to influence the government’s asbestos policy. According to the author, skewed advice provided by an “expert committee” set up by the Environment Ministry overlooked key evidence and based its pro-asbestos opinion on selective information. The National Green Tribunal had asked the Ministry to consult specialists about whether asbestos roofs at schools were safe (YES) and whether safer substitutes were available (NO). Both answers were incorrect. See: Banned in several countries, India continues to support the use of this cancer-causing mineral.

Italian Toxic Ship now in Split

Aug 4., 2025

The article cited below as well as one from July 31 (Croatia: protests in Split against ‘remediation’ of Italian ship) provided updated information on the journey of an asbestos-containing Italian passenger ship – the Moby Drea – to the Brodosplit shipyard in Split, Croatia. The use of asbestos was banned in Croatia in 2006 and local people were outraged at plans to remove 350 tons of asbestos from this vessel at the shipyard. See: Controversial asbestos-laden Italian ferry to arrive at Split.

Post-Disaster Clean-up

Aug 4, 2025

Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MOENV) allocated a special budget of 780 million New Taiwan Dollars (US $260m) to assist local authorities to remediate asbestos building waste generated by Typhoon Danas. Sixty percent of the asbestos debris caused by the storm came from destruction in Tainan City and ~35% from Chiayi County. Asbestos use was banned in Taiwan in 2023. To encourage asbestos removal efforts, MOENV has subsidized decontamination work for homeowners since August 2023. See: Special budget of 780 million NT for cleaning up asbestos.

Asbestos Contamination of Waterways

Aug 4, 2025

Another article from a local news outlet in the former asbestos mining region of Quebec reported the unwelcome discovery by the Ministry of Environment of asbestos contamination of waterways in the former asbestos mining towns of Thetford Mines and Val-des-Sources. According to the Ministry’s preliminary report, high levels of asbestos fibers had been found upstream and downstream of mounds of asbestos-containing tailings as well as in tributaries. See: Des concentrations élevées de fibres d’amiante dans des cours d’eau à Thetford Mines et Val-des-Sources [High concentrations of asbestos fibers in waterways in Thetford Mines and Val-des-Sources].

Legal Victory in Sicily

Aug 4, 2025

Last month, the Labor Court of Syracuse acknowledged that the lung cancer death of 52-year-old naval mechanic Francesco Tomasi had been caused by asbestos exposures experienced during his military service from 1984 to 1986. Tomasi was diagnosed in June 2017 and died in October the same year leaving a wife and two children. The Ministry of Defense was ordered to pay the family a total of €1,400,000 (US$ 1.6m) and a monthly pension of €2,400 (US$2,750). See: Siracusa, giustizia postuma per Francesco Tomasi: ucciso dall’amianto, riconosciuto vittima del dovere [Syracuse, posthumous justice for Francesco Tomasi: killed by asbestos, recognized as a victim of duty].

Pleural Mesothelioma: Research

Aug 4, 2025

This first qualitative UK study to explore the diagnosis journey of patients with pleural mesothelioma (PM) was published in the August 2025 issue of the European Journal of Oncology. Nursing. Information for this paper was obtained from interviews with 17 PM patients from two outpatient English clinics. One of the key factors in obtaining a timely PM diagnosis was health literacy: “patients with a prior knowledge of the risk of asbestos exposure were able to seek medical attention sooner than their counterparts who were unconscious of the risk from asbestos exposure.” See: Facilitators and barriers to early diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma: A qualitative study of patients’ experiences towards getting a diagnosis.

Asbestos Eradication Program

Aug 1, 2025

The replacement of deteriorating asbestos roofing on government housing for 800 low income families is being expedited due to the severe health risks posed to the public. The toxic roofing on the properties which were built in the 1950s is being replaced with galvanized iron sheets. According to the article, although the use of asbestos was banned in Kenya in 2006, large amounts of asbestos material remains in private homes, police stations, hospitals, universities, education centers, coffee and tea estates, and county government offices. See: Over 800 Nakuru homes set for asbestos roof upgrade.

Asbestos Contamination and Traffic Pollution

Aug 1, 2025

The paper cited below was published by Iranian scientists who documented excessive airborne asbestos levels in Shiraz, a city in south-central Iran. According to the results of air monitoring tests conducted over a year, 70% of the sampling sites had high-very high asbestos fiber concentrations, with the highest readings recorded near high-traffic areas. “Motor vehicle traffic,” was the researchers wrote “the primary source of asbestos pollution…” Acknowledging the “significant health risk” to the population, traffic control measures and the replacement of asbestos brakes with safer alternatives were recommended. See: Investigating the influence of urban land use on asbestos concentration and identifying the most vulnerable areas in Shiraz, Iran.

Toxic Talc!

Aug 1, 2025

On July 29, 2025, a jury in Massachusetts issued a victim’s verdict and ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay $42+ million to Paul Lovell and his wife after Mr Lovell developed mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Mr Lovell used J&J asbestos-containing talc products for decades. According to his lawyers, J&J knew about the contamination but did not warn consumers. The company is facing in excess of 63,000 cancer claims from people who used its talc products. See: Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $42M after jury finds talc caused man’s cancer.

New Regs to Protect Workers

Aug 1, 2025

In an effort to reduce the number of occupational deaths caused by asbestos exposure, the Canadian Province of Manitoba plans to implement stricter regulations, with greater asbestos protections for workers in October 2025. Under the new regime, prior to any occupational exposure to asbestos it will be mandatory for workers to be trained and certified through an intensive asbestos awareness training program. Six workers die every year in the Province from asbestos-related diseases. See: New asbestos handling standards coming for Manitoba workers.

Asbestos in Schools

Aug 1, 2025

Shocking data obtained from Freedom of Information requests revealed that 83.7% of council-maintained schools in Wigan still contain asbestos. According to the Council, since 2003 it has been monitoring asbestos material in schools; most of the contaminated products are asbestos floor tiles which are considered to present a low risk to building users. The position of the Council’s in-house asbestos team is to “carry out annual surveys and re-inspections to ensure any asbestos materials in school buildings remain in a satisfactory condition and continue to present no risk to the health and safety of building users, including contractors.” See: More than 80% of Wigan schools still contain asbestos.

Asbestos a Red Flag for Home Buyers

Aug 1, 2025

According to a national survey, the presence of asbestos in a prospective property will prevent a third of sales going through. Ninety-one per cent of homeowners say they have never surveyed their properties for asbestos; 82% of US adults think that asbestos testing should be legally required prior to any house sales. In the absence of any mandatory testing requirements, millions of US homes are bought, sold and renovated without any asbestos screening or precautionary measures being implemented. See: Toxic Truth: 91% of Homes Haven’t Been Tested for Asbestos, and Buyers Are Bailing.

Asbestos in Ammo?

Jul 28, 2025

Last week, the family of an Illinois hunter was awarded $9 million for the 2022 mesothelioma death of Eugene Schoepke. The defendants in this case were E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Inc. and its subsidiary Remington which had knowingly used asbestos in the manufacture of The Remington and Peters brand shotgun shells Schoepke used. The asbestos-containing ammunition was marketed, sold and packaged as a joint product of DuPont and Remington. See: Jury awards $9M to hunter who died of cancer after using ex-DuPont company's asbestos-laced shells.

New Exhibition: Asbestos Mining

Jul 28, 2025

For decades, people in Canada’s asbestos heartland earned their living mining chrysotile (white) asbestos. A new immersive exhibition “Lights Underground” at the Thetford Mines Minéro Museum aimed to help the public relive the daily life of miners at the King Asbestos Mine. The exhibition opened on July 17 and will close in September 2025. There is no information available online on whether the exhibition detailed the health hazards posed to the miners or local people by the extraction of asbestos from the Quebec mine. See: Une expérience immersive pour mettre en lumière le quotidien des mineurs d’amiante [An immersive experience to highlight the daily life of asbestos miners].

Progressing Asbestos Decontamination

Jul 28, 2025

Last week, officials at Jeju City Hall, South Korea announced a new tranche of funding for asbestos eradication grants to facilitate the removal and disposal of asbestos-cement roofing from domestic and commercial properties. Jeju’s municipal asbestos decontamination program has been ongoing since 2011; this year 2,012 billion won (US$1.5m) has been allocated to support remediation work on 480 buildings. According to council spokesperson Kim Eun-soo: “Asbestos-cement roofs pose a threat to health, so we hope that owners will actively participate in the support project to create a safe and pleasant living environment.” See: “석면 걱정 그만, 슬레이트 지붕 철거 지원사업 신청 하세요” [“Stop worrying about asbestos, apply to the slate roof removal support project”].

Toxic Talc?

Jul 28, 2025

A curious article in Time magazine about whether or not the presence of talc in consumer products constituted a public health risk cited selective information which cast doubt on the hazard. Included in the text was a quote from the American Cancer Society which stated that “if there’s an increased cancer risk, it’s likely to be very small.” Despite a determined effort to downplay the hazard, the article did conclude that “as there’s no medical reason for using these [talc] products,” it would be safer to find talc-free options. On June 30, 2025, the International Agency for Research on Cancer categorized talc as “probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).” See: Talc Is Suddenly in the Spotlight. Is it Bad for You?

Updated Asbestos Risk Data!

Jul 28, 2025

Research undertaken by a leading trade body concluded that there could still be as many as 5 million asbestos-roofed garages in the UK. The use of toxic roofing on these structures adjoining private homes was legal until 1999. This figure was calculated using government and industry data. According to Mark Evans, Owner at Danmarque Garages: “Most asbestos garages were installed throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s, so we’re at that point in time where most are now starting to crack, leak, and release their harmful asbestos fibres.” See: Asbestos Risk Looms Over 4.9 Million UK Driveways, New Figures Confirm.

Incentives for Asbestos Removal

Jul 28, 2025

Authorities in the Marche Region of central Italy announced plans to expand financial incentives to encourage the public to eradicate asbestos from their properties. Under a new scheme, building owners can claim a subsidy of up to €3,000 (US$3,518) to cover the costs of the removal, disposal and transport of asbestos waste. The process of applying for these bursaries has been streamlined to make it quicker and easier to access funds for this work. See: Nelle Marche aumentano i contributi per lo smaltimento amianto: «Più risorse e meno burocrazia» [In the Marche region, contributions for asbestos disposal are increasing: “more resources and less bureaucracy”].

Asbestos Pollution

Jul 23, 2025

Analyses of air samples from areas near factories producing asbestos-cement material in the cities of Bishkek and Kant detected moderate to heavy levels of contamination. The authors of the article cited below also reported chrysotile and amphibole asbestos fibers in samples of lung tissue. Further studies were, the scientists said, needed but given the political difficulty in imposing a ban on asbestos use “a strict regulation of its use is urgently needed in CA [Central Asia] countries, where unacceptable levels of exposure not only for asbestos workers, as previously reported, but also for the general population, have been pointed out.” See: Assessment of asbestos exposure in Kyrgyzstan through analysis of raw and processed materials, air samples and human lung tissue.

Covid Impact on Mesothelioma Care

Jul 25, 2025

An observational study using data from a national registry was undertaken by scientists from the Netherlands who assessed the impact of COVID-19 on patients with pleural mesothelioma (PM) between 2018 and 2022. The co-authors of the paper sited below reported: “an abrupt decline in the incidence and systemic treatment of PM patients in 2020.” During this time, there was a 58.8% increase in patients receiving best supportive care and a 7.4% fall in the use of chemotherapy. See: Pleural mesothelioma incidence and use of systemic treatment decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic in The Netherlands.

High Tech Asbestos Detection System

Jul 23, 2025

Advanced equipment for protecting the population from toxic exposures to asbestos in war zones has been received by officials working for the Ukrainian government. The specialized fiber detection equipment was provided by the United Nations Development Program, thanks to a grant from the Government of Sweden, and was delivered to the Odesa office of Ukraine’s State Environmental Inspectorate. The state-of-the-art system included a Leica DM750P polarization microscope, a fully equipped workstation, related accessories, and necessary consumables. See: Sweden and UNDP Supply Modern Laboratory System For Asbestos Detection To Ukraine.

Deadly Asbestos Legacy

Jul 23, 2025

Wide-scale asbestos contamination of a former industrial site in Spodden Valley, Rochdale has been an ongoing problem for decades. Toxic waste dumped on acres of land by companies belonging to Turner & Newall Ltd. remain, long after manufacturing processes ceased. According to Rochdale Borough Council, as the land is privately owned by Spodden Park Ltd, the Council has limited powers to intervene. Levels of local frustration are high after various private developers failed to act on the serious hazard posed by the toxic condition of the buildings and land. See: Unburied – when asbestos comes back to haunt communities.

Asbestos on the Railways

Jul 23, 2025

Thanks to a ruling by the Etna Court in Catania, Italy the widow of a 65-year-old railway worker will receive compensation of €150,000+ (US$176,000+) for the 2016 cancer death of her husband. CF had worked for 28 years at local railway facilities including the locomotive depot of the Catania vehicle workshop and the navigation operations offices in Messina and Palermo. He was routinely exposed to asbestos, as a result of which he contracted lung cancer. See: Operaio catanese di Rfi morto per carcinoma: l'Inail dovrà risarcire la vedova [A Catania-based RFI worker dies of cancer: INAIL must compensate his widow].

No Exploration in Wittenoom!

Jul 23, 2025

Calls for the law in Western Australia to be changed are being made by the Managing Director of Marco Metals Simon Rushton whose subsidiary Fe Metals applied for a mining exploration license for land within the Wittenoom Asbestos Management Area. The application, which was withdrawn five months ago, had been made by a geologist unfamiliar with the toxic history of the former asbestos mining town. Commenting on this error, Rushton said: “I wouldn’t care if there were 100 million tonnes of diamonds there, we wouldn’t be proceeding with that tenement… because there is no foolproof way of guaranteeing human health and safety.” See: Aus miner’s Wittenoom blunder sparks call for law change.

From Asbestos to Rare Earth Mining

Jul 21, 2025

The lengthy article cited below examined the advantages and disadvantages posed by the shift in economic priorities of a small mining town – Minaçu, in the Brazilian State of Goiás – from asbestos to rare earth mineral mining. Despite reassurances by Mayor Carlos Alberto Lereia, that there is no public health problem in Minaçu, there is a local epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. Inhabitants of the city have expressed concerns over the possible health repercussions of the significant deterioration in water quality as a result of the mining activities for rare earth minerals. See: Do amianto às terras raras, cidade de Goiás vive entre passado e futuro da mineração [From asbestos to rare earths, a city in Goiás lives between the past and future of mining].