This story is from May 26, 2018

Asbestos: Still around, still deadly

Asbestos: Still around, still deadly
BENGALURU: Asbestos has been mined and used since antiquity. It is a fibrous material which can be turned into ropes, cloth and sometimes found in corrugated roofs. It was valued for its remarkable properties: insulation, fire resistance and resistance to corrosion. It is said that the emperor Charlemagne used to impress his dinner guests by throwing his asbestos tablecloth into the fire, where it was not consumed.
The emperor’s dinner guests were suitably impressed with his apparent magical powers. The Greeks and the Romans used asbestos in clothing and construction. However, the medical dangers of asbestos were known to these ancient civilisations and Pliny the Elder describes the lung diseases that result from its use.
In the early 20th century, asbestos was widely used all over the world in building construction, insulation in boiler rooms and brake linings. However, it was later recognised by the medical profession that the substance is detrimental to health. The fibres of which asbestos is composed are easily inhaled and remain embedded in the lungs. These fibres result in a variety of diseases including lung cancer, ``asbestosis'' and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that destroys the lubricating lining between internal organs. Asbestosis is a chronic disease characterised by scarring in the lungs, which leads to long-term breathing complications. It is caused exclusively by exposure to asbestos, but it is usually not diagnosed until decades after the exposure occurred.
Despite the dangers of asbestos being well known in medical circles, the general public has yet to become aware of them. This was largely due to the efforts of the asbestos industry, which prevented this information from being widely disseminated. In fact, one is reminded of the tobacco industry resisting for years the now well established causal link between tobacco and cancer. There are very real risks associated with using asbestos, especially in outdoor situations, where the weather causes the fibres to disintegrate and spread in the air, where people can ingest them by breathing. The purpose of this article is to draw the public’s attention to this very serious health hazard that pervades our cities adding further risks to the already polluted air we breathe. Asbestos is now banned in 60 countries across the world.
Although asbestos mining is banned in India, it continues to be imported and used in roofing sheets, insulation and brake linings. On 21 January 2011, the Supreme Court of India banned the use of asbestos in India. The Supreme Court Court, in the case of Consumer Education and Research Centre v. Union of India [(1995) 3SCC 42)] accepted the well established adverse effects of asbestos. However, the benefits of these enlightened judgements have yet to alter ground realities. Our buildings, and our vehicles continue to use the substance. As do our armed forces, and our railways.
As a result of the lack of awareness, public health continues to suffer. On 15 August 2016, in the strongest statement till date, the Hon Mr Anil Madhav Dave, Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change categorically specified “Since the use of asbestos is affecting human health, its usage should gradually be minimised and ended. As far as I know, its use is declining, but it must end” .
The problem of asbestos use in India is due to a lack of information among the general public. Even educated classes seem to be unaware of the biological
hazards of asbestos. While tobacco products come with statutory health hazard warnings, asbestos is freely used indoors and outdoors in public and private spaces with no health warnings.
As a society, we need to choose between two alternatives: continuing to use asbestos or eliminating it. In economic terms: what is the “opportunity cost’’, the relative financial advantage between these options? In other words, we need to compare the increased cost of finding safe substitutes for asbestos with the medical costs of treating those affected by its use. It is evident that the medical costs are far higher: how do you put a value on human life and suffering? Most countries have made this choice wisely. Why not India?
Abhimanyu, the writer is a scientist
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