ASBESTOS – A Very Toxic and Harmful Mineral

Asbestos is a group of mineral fibres with widespread current and historical commercial uses. Once widely used for its heat resistance and durability, asbestos is now known to cause serious diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Asbestos’ unique properties – resistance to heat and fire, insulation capability, chemical inertness and strength – led to its widespread use for centuries in industries such as building and construction, shipbuilding, automobile, textiles, electronics, aerospace, mining and milling, and petrochemicals.

Asbestos containing materials – known as ACMs – have been used in more than 3,000 manufactured products. Millions of metric tons of asbestos are still in buildings and in products across the world, and new ACMs are being manufactured and introduced into commerce.

All forms of asbestos, including chrysotile i.e. white asbestos (the most commonly used and commercially important type of asbestos), are carcinogenic to humans. Exposure to asbestos, including chrysotile, causes cancer of the lung, larynx and ovaries, and mesothelioma (a cancer of the pleural and peritoneal linings).

There is also clear scientific evidence that asbestos causes chronic respiratory diseases such as asbestosis (fibrosis of the lungs), and other adverse effects on the lungs.

Asbestos can cause deaths and serious ill-health in workers and other people who are exposed to the fibres. Globally, more than 200,000 deaths are estimated to be caused by occupational exposure to asbestos – more than 70% of all deaths from work-related cancers.

Many countries have taken steps to regulate or ban asbestos, but millions of tonnes remain in homes, schools, and workplaces, and new products are still entering the market in some regions.

Understanding what asbestos is, why it matters, and how it affects health is essential for prevention, safer alternatives, and informed decision-making.

Learn more about it here:

https://www.unep.org/…/pollution-and-health/asbestos…

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asbestos…