News Archive

On October 6, 2026, the UK’s Office for Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a recall for two Halloween novelty products. According to the OPSS, the two decorative models: “present a risk to health as the sand in the doorstops may be contaminated with a small quantity of asbestos.” Both items were made in China and were sold throughout the UK by Primark. This was the 70th OPSS asbestos recall for children’s sand products, toys and novelty items since January 1, 2026 (see: Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls).

See: Product Recall: Primark Halloween Gonks (2610-0004).

Restoring Ruined Mining Site

Oct 12, 2026

The article cited below described the environmental and ecological remediation of Europe’s biggest chrysotile (white) asbestos mine: the Amiantos Mine in the Troodos Mountains on Cyprus. Decades of mining operations scarred the beautiful natural landscape and from 1904 millions of tonnes of ore were dug from the ground to produce asbestos fiber, a valuable local commodity that was shipped overseas. A community was built around the mine. It was an idyllic life – except for the deadly soil, air and water created by the operations at the toxic mine. “Amiantos,” the author concluded “is now a living case study in environmental recovery — a landscape that remembers its past while slowly healing.” See: Amiantos Mine is Cyprus’ Industrial Giant.

Asbestos on Campus

Oct 12, 2026

A timely opinion piece by Sofia Terèse Glantz appeared in the October 3, 2026 issue of The Varsity – the student newspaper of the University of Toronto. Glantz called on college officials to upgrade their risk communication strategy so that students would be better informed about safety measures being implemented to deal with asbestos contamination of multiple academic structures on campus, including classrooms, laboratories and dormitories. During much of the 20th century, Canada was the world’s biggest asbestos supplier. See: Opinion: Students deserve clearer communication about asbestos.

Asbestos-Related Disease in West Java

Oct 12, 2026

Results reported of tests conducted in Karawang on 36 former asbestos industry workers were conclusive: 10 suffered from asbestosis and 5 had silicosis due to toxic workplace exposures. The Karawang Manpower Supervisor was informed of the results by a delegation of the injured and campaigners. Highlighting multiple discrepancies in the provision of Indonesian occupational health benefits, the Supervisor was told about the serious impact and long latency period of asbestos exposures and urged support for a transition to asbestos-free materials. See: Mantan Pekerja Asbes Laporkan Dugaan Penyakit Akibat Kerja ke Pengawas Ketenagakerjaan Karawang [Former Asbestos Worker Reports Suspected Occupational Diseases to Karawang Manpower Supervisor].

New Precedent in Rimini

Oct 12, 2026

Because of the serious nature of his physical condition, no biopsy or histological evidence had been obtained or submitted in the asbestos case brought over the lung cancer death of a worker from the Italian State Railways’ maintenance facility in Rimini. As a result, the compensation claim submitted by his family was rejected because of lack of evidence. After input from trade union technical experts, medical professionals and legal advisors the claim was recognized. See: Amianto, malattia professionale riconosciuta anche senza Biopsia: il caso di Rimini fa scuola [Asbestos, an occupational disease recognized even without a biopsy: the case of Rimini sets a precedent].

Asbestos Eradication Program: Update

Oct 12, 2026

Provincial and federal funds were obtained to cover 100% of the costs of the now completed Glogów Commune project to remove all asbestos-containing products from the urban municipality in southwestern Poland. Work was carried out between June and September 2026 on 12 contaminated structures in the commune at a cost of PLN40,147.23 (US$10,260). The eradication was undertaken pursuant to Poland’s 2023 deadline for the elimination of asbestos-containing materials from Poland’s national infrastructure. See: Gmina Głogów zakończyła usuwanie azbestu. Prace objęły 12 obiektów [The Glogów commune has completed asbestos removal. The work covered 12 facilities].

Catalan Asbestos Protocols

Oct 9, 2026

On October 3, 2026, Catalan Law 8.2026 came into force. The legislation established the Catalan Register of Asbestos-Containing Materials: “a mandatory framework to accelerate the identification, removal and proper management of this material still present in numerous buildings and facilities.” The law also set out details for a mandatory certification scheme covering companies and individuals authorized to undertake asbestos eradication work. See: Cataluña refuerza la retirada y gestión del amianto con una ley específica [Catalonia strengthens the removal and management of asbestos with a specific law].

Asbestos Toy Recalls

Oct 9, 2026

On September 30, 2026, the UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) recalled two toys because of asbestos contamination. The items withdrawn from the market were: YongnKids Theme Scene Sandbox Toy Kit sold via Amazon (2609-0148) and SHEIN Children’s Wooden Acrylic Rainbow Sensory Blocks (2609-0191). Both products were made in China.

See: YongnKids Theme Scene Sandbox Toy Kit sold via Amazon (2609-0148).

SHEIN Children’s Wooden Acrylic Rainbow Sensory Blocks (2609-0191).

Asbestos Eradication: Regional Update

Oct 9, 2026

A conference on September 30, 2026 provided the opportunity for expert speakers to delineate progress made in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region on asbestos eradication. Among the speakers were technical specialists as well as representatives of local government and state institutions. According to Vice-Marshal Aneta Jedrzejewska: “The year 2032 is fast approaching, and by then asbestos should have disappeared from our homes and farms. Meanwhile, approximately 610,000 tonnes of asbestos have been inventoried in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region, of which only 140,000 tonnes, or 23 percent, have been removed.” See: Poland Without Asbestos – Conference.

Quebec’s Asbestos Legacy

Oct 9, 2026

Asbestos contamination continued to disrupt plans by the authorities in Quebec, the one-time Canadian asbestos heartland. According to Santé Québec – the state-owned corporation tasked with the day-to-day delivery of public health and social services in Quebec – the opening of an operating room in the city of Dolbeau-Mistassini was delayed due to the discovery of asbestos-contaminated soil and a daycare center in Roberval was shut temporarily after asbestos had been found in the walls of the premises. See: Amiante et sols contaminés: des imprévus dans les bâtiments et les chantiers de Santé Québec au Lac-Saint-Jean [Asbestos and contaminated soils: unforeseen events in Santé Québec's buildings and construction sites in Lac-Saint-Jean].

Quebec Complaints over Asbestos Regs

Oct 9, 2026

In the run-up to provincial elections, Mayors in Quebec’s former asbestos region categorized mandatory regulations for handling asbestos-contaminated waste as burdensome and costly. According to Marc-Alexandre Brousseau, the Mayor of Thetford Mines: “We are not saying that asbestos is not carcinogenic. We're just saying that there is a way to protect ourselves from it differently than what we do now.” See: Des maires de Chaudière-Appalaches prônent une meilleure gestion des sols amiantés [Mayors of Chaudière-Appalaches advocate for better management of asbestos-contaminated soils].

New Development, Old Hazard

Oct 9, 2026

Spodden Park Ltd., a new developer of the toxic 75-acre site of the former Turner Brothers Asbestos factory, announced that decontamination work would be carried out by a specialist contractor. Once the site had been remediated, hundreds of houses would be built. There are few details about the remediation work or the contractors chosen for the project. In a statement from the developers they said: “We will share further details in due course and will continue to engage with the local community before any site activity takes place.” See: After decades of decay, Rochdale's Chernobyl is finally getting cleaned up.

Asbestos Pollution in Madhya Pradesh

Oct 7, 2026

Attempts by a regional officer from the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) and a scientist to assess the state of the Kalhara asbestos waste landfill, near Kymore, was complicated by logistical problems including the natural regrowth of vegetation on the dumpsite. The site visit was stimulated by the publicity surrounding the news that hundreds of new asbestos compensation cases had been filed with the T&N Asbestos Trust over toxic exposures created by operations at a Kymore asbestos factory. See: Kymore Asbestos Landfill Probe Exposes a Decade-Old Urban Health Gap.

Asbestos Waste, A National Problem

Oct 7, 2026

The September 29, 2026 article cited below was published in the Daily Mail. The author explained that even though the UK had “one of the highest rates of deaths from asbestos in the world,” the country lacked a standardized protocol for protecting people from potentially life-threatening exposures to toxic material found in their homes and in the environment. Some local authorities even allowed residents to dump domestic asbestos waste in landfill sites. Elsewhere, disposal of the waste was prohibitively expensive and fly-tipping was rife. See: Asbestos is a known killer, so why on earth are householders allowed to rip it out themselves – and drive it to their local recycling centre?.

Protecting Construction Workers

Oct 7, 2026

In a press release issued last month by Denmark’s Minister of Employment and Equality Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, it was announced that new regulations would mandate that as of 2027 employees on construction sites would have direct contact with asbestos analysts in order to ensure that the workers were correctly informed about levels of asbestos contamination at their workplaces. These changes were made as a result of a 2025 case where a building consultant had falsified the findings of asbestos tests at a construction site. See: Opgør med asbestfusk: Nye krav på vej [Dealing with asbestos fraud: New requirements on the way].

Asbestos Alert!

Oct 7, 2026

According to a report published on September 30, 2026 by the Association for Asbestos Victims of Quebec (AVAQ), the health of tenants of pre-2000 buildings in Quebec which are under renovation are being endangered by a lack of health and safety protections. According to AVAQ, none of Quebec's 15 largest municipalities require asbestos audits when building permits are issued for renovations. The report highlighted the exemplary practices of the authorities in Westmount – a city on the Island of Montreal – which mandated asbestos testing for buildings by a certified laboratory prior to the commencement of renovations. See: Les locataires québécois vulnérables à l’amiante [Quebec tenants vulnerable to asbestos].

Good News, Bad News

Oct 7, 2026

According to a new study by the Flemish Department of Health, the number of cases of asbestos-related cancer is finally decreasing. Nevertheless, “between 2004 and 2023, there were still twice as many diagnoses and deaths from mesothelioma per 100,000 inhabitants in the area with an asbestos history than outside the area, among both men and women.” Two hundred Flemish people are diagnosed every year with mesothelioma, the signature cancer associated with asbestos exposure. See: Dertig jaar na eerste waarschuwingen zien we nu eindelijk minder longvlieskanker in Vlaanderen [Thirty years after the first warnings, we are now finally seeing less pleural cancer in Flanders].

Addressing the Asbestos Challenge

Oct 7, 2026

The open access paper cited below was uploaded on September 29, 2026 to the website of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. The article introduced, what the South African authors claimed, was “a groundbreaking Risk-Governed Housing Remediation Framework, derived from South Africa’s Programme on Rectification of Pre-1994 Residential Properties.” The objective of the program was to draw various approaches and technical protocols together in order to formulate “a coordinated governance system.” See: From Prohibition to Protection: A Governance Framework for Asbestos Remediation in Vulnerable Settlements.

British Asbestos Legacy

Oct 5, 2026

A series of articles was published in India last month which revealed the deadly legacy of asbestos operations by the British conglomerate Turner & Newall in India. The articles dealt with the hazardous consequences of workplace as well as environmental exposures and highlighted the lack of preventative measures implemented by the company and the Government. See: School on Brit factory's premises at heart of asbestos exposure row.

‘Thousands diagnosed but govt has no health map': British giant's toxic legacy still ails MP's Kymore town.

Thousands in India developed cancer, lung disease after British company's asbestos dump.

Asbestos Upends Landmark’s Restoration

Oct 5, 2026

Plans to revamp the Montparnasse tower – the only skyscraper in central Paris – were rejected by stakeholders who were appalled at the €800 million (US$900m) bill for asbestos decontamination and other development work. The 210-meter 59-storey tower was opened in 1973, during a time when asbestos was widely used. As a result, there is extensive contamination of the structure which will require “a long and complex removal programme.” See: Future of Paris' Montparnasse Tower uncertain after planned revamp collapses.

UNEP Report: “Asbestos Emergency”

Oct 5, 2026

New information on the asbestos challenges faced by Ukraine published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) detailed “instances of unsafe dumping, worker and community exposure, and regulatory gaps.” There were no specialist asbestos remediation services for decontamination work and no hazardous-waste landfills for the dumping of toxic waste. Until Ukraine banned asbestos in 2023, asbestos-containing products were widely used for roofing, fencing, pipes and heating systems. See: Ukraine’s Asbestos Emergency: War Debris Poses Hazardous Waste Challenge.

Update from Toxic Kymore Factory

Oct 5, 2026

The Indian company which since 2003 has run the infamous asbestos-cement factory in Kymore formerly owned by the British asbestos company Turner & Newall and subsequently bought by the Belgian Eternit asbestos conglomerate, reported on September 28, 2026 that none of its employees had ever been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. When asked whether this was also the case for people living near the plant, the company said that it had no information on that matter. See: ‘No asbestos case among staff in 20 yrs, nearby areas never tested’.

Ending Toxic Exposures

Oct 5, 2026

It was announced on September 27, 2026, that the Cabinet of Fiji – the country’s executive governing body – had endorsed a partnership between the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations and Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) to collaborate on measures to raise awareness of asbestos-related issues and progress increased protections. Pursuant to those objectives, a National Asbestos Profile will be prepared and existing regulations will be reviewed to “strengthen the country’s ability to identify and manage asbestos risks.” See: Government moves to strengthen asbestos safeguards.

Impact of STF Ruling for Goiás

Oct 5, 2026

The article cited below was on the website of ohoje.com, a news portal focused on developments in Goiânia and Goiás, Brazil. On September 18, 2026, the Supreme Court (STF) quashed a Goiás State law (2019) which allowed asbestos mining to continue in Minaçu despite a national ban (2017). Reporter João César Almeida discussed the ramifications of that ruling, highlighting the fears of “a chain reaction of economic contraction…” According to the Mayor of Minaçu, Carlos Leréia: “The city emerged through mining. Before mining, there was no city. So, the city is inextricably linked to the asbestos mine…” See: STF derruba lei que permitia exploração de amianto em Goiás e Minaçu enfrenta transição econômica [Supreme Court strikes down law allowing asbestos mining in Goiás, and Minaçu faces economic transition].

Two Families’ WA Tragedy

Oct 2, 2026

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’.