News Archive

The article cited below, which was uploaded on May 15, 2026, revealed that measurements taken at 300 sites in three counties in western Hungary found asbestos contamination in aggregates used to construct and/or repair road surfaces. The toxic material was sourced from mines in Austria. According to geologist Tamás Weiszburg: “the main problem is that roads built with asbestos-containing aggregates are often neither sealed nor asphalted.” See: Hundreds of Hungarian roads may be contaminated with asbestos.

Another Asbestos Recall!

May 28, 2026

On May 18, 2026, the UK’s Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a recall for Grafix Make Your Own Sand Bottle (Star & Heart), a product which had been sold between August 2021 and May, 2026 throughout the country by the ASDA chain of supermarkets. The items were made in China and presented “a risk to health as the sand may be contaminated with a small quantity of asbestos.” See: Product Recall: Grafix Make Your Own Sand Bottle (Star & Heart) sold by ASDA (2605-0091).

New Funding for Asbestos Eradication

May 28, 2026

On May 11, 2026, the authorities of the Tuscany Region, Italy approved a resolution calling for the allocation of €1,500,000 (US$1.74m) in non-repayable grants for asbestos eradication and remediation of public buildings in cities throughout Tuscany. The toxic products still contaminating the regional infrastructure included roofing tiles and asbestos-cement building products as well as insulation and fireproofing material. Eligible applicants can receive up to €300,000 per building. See: ‘Zero amianto, zero rischi’: dalla Regione Toscana un milione e mezzo per bonificare edifici pubblici [‘Zero asbestos, zero risks’: one and a half million from the Tuscany Region to remediate public buildings].

Asbestos Recalls

May 28, 2026

On May 18, 2026, the Dutch authorities issued recalls for stretchy and squishy toys contaminated with asbestos. The recalled items were sold by Eddy Toys between September and March 2026 in the Netherlands and other European countries. The description and barcode of the affected products were: Stretch toy (8711252322247); Stretch car (8711252335667); Squish fish (8711252351513); Squish & stretch dog (8711252351421); Squish & stretch dog (8711252351575); Elasticorps stress ball (8052532633098). See: Terugroepactie squishy-speelgoed, zit mogelijk asbest in [Squishy toy recall, may contain asbestos].

New Asbestos Guidelines

May 28, 2026

On May 13, 2026, the UK Government’s office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued new guidance for consumers and businesses on consumer products containing asbestos that applies to England, Scotland and Wales. The information provided was organized into advice for: consumers, businesses and workplaces, and schools. The contentious policy for disposal of these goods remains as follows: “Businesses should be accepting recalled products at their stores. It is both legal and safe to dispose of these products in household waste if you are not able to return products to store.” See: Guidance for consumers and businesses on consumer products containing asbestos.

Call for Better Workplace Protections

May 28, 2026

The paper cited below was uploaded on May 18, 2026 to the website of PLOS One, a peer-reviewed, open access journal published by the Public Library of Science. An analysis of available epidemiological data revealed that “a statistically modeled increase was observed in 2020–2022 [of ARDs which provided]…evidence for clinicians, epidemiologists, and policymakers to strengthen occupational disease prevention, reinforce labor protection laws, and improve asbestos-control policies in China.” See: Disease burden of asbestos-related diseases [ARDs] in China (1990–2023) based on GBD estimates: A call for stronger labor protection laws.

Remembering Juisseau!

May 25, 2026

One of the pivotal struggles for asbestos justice in France involved the Juisseau campus of Sorbonne University, built during the 1960s in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. As a result of high levels of asbestos contamination at Juisseau, former members of staff as well as students died from avoidable asbestos-related diseases. The article cited below reviewed key stages in the campaign to remediate the university’s built environment as well as decades of legal appeals aimed at holding the guilty to account. Nowadays, there is no asbestos at Juisseau – the asbestos removal project at the campus was the largest and most expensive ever carried out in Europe. See: Scandale à l’amiante de Jussieu: à Paris, cette université tuait en silence [Jussieu asbestos scandal: in Paris, this university killed in silence].

Asbestos Dealers Celebrate Asbestos Day

May 25, 2026

A news item from the website of Uralasbest, Russia’s 2nd biggest asbestos conglomerate, reported on the fairly muted celebrations held on April 16, 2026 to mark International Chrysotile [Asbestos] Day. Long gone are the multinational, high-profile love-ins of yesteryear when asbestos vested interests from Russia would be joined by their counterparts from Brazil, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere for days of industry mobilization and back-slapping. Fourteen years on, the best the Russian asbestos lobbyists could boast about was a music recital at a local college. See: Сегодня – Международный День защиты хризотила [Today is International Chrysotile Day].

Asbestos: Housing Legacy

May 25, 2026

During a Parliamentary session on May 12, 2026, the Minister of Housing and Lands of Mauritius Shakeel Mohamed confirmed that the government was progressing plans for a rehousing plan that would address public concerns over asbestos contamination of 1,500+ units of low-income housing. This work was being undertaken by an interministerial committee which had its first meeting on May 6, 2026. According to Mohamed, options under consideration included: “a land-to-housing exchange, financial assistance and temporary housing support.” See: Asbestos in former CHA/EDC houses: a process underway, still at the preparatory stage.

FVG Asbestos Audit: Update

May 25, 2026

At a recent press conference in Trieste, Italy Fabio Scoccimarro – the Regional Councilor for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development for the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region, in the northeast if Italy – announced that work to compile an asbestos audit of FVG would be completed by the end of next year. He told journalists that “to date, most of the largest municipalities have already been mapped, as well as about 26,000 buildings… the goal is to make our region increasingly safe and healthy, and reach the goal of zero asbestos on the regional territory.” See: Amianto. Scoccimarro, “entro il 2027 verrà completata la mappatura in Fvg” [Asbestos. Scoccimarro, “by 2027 the mapping in FVG will be completed”].

Fly-tipping in Makueni County

May 25, 2026

The Sunday, May 17, 2026 issue of the Daily Nation reported the illegal dumping by “persons unknown” of thousands of tonnes of asbestos-contaminated debris in Makueni County, Kenya. Comments by municipal and federal officials indicated that an incident on May 13, during which asbestos-roofing material was dumped at a location in Smart Village, Kaasuvi Sub-location, was not an isolated incident. Makueni County Public Health Department acted quickly to contain the damage, warning local people to stay away from the site. See: Asbestos dumped illegally in Makueni as Kenya sits on thousands of tonnes of the hazardous waste.

Asbestos Risks & the Climate Crisis

May 25, 2026

The May 12th commentary cited below was written by Phil Pinnington, Head of Audit and Consultancy at the British Safety Council. The author, who addressed health risks posed by legacy asbestos use in the UK, considered whether these risks were affected by the climate crisis. Issues such as higher temperatures, increasing incidents of air pollution, wildfires, pollution and floods were considered as was the hazard posed by asbestos contained within the aging national infrastructure. See: How climate shifts raise asbestos health risks.

Scented Sand Recall

May 22, 2026

On May 12, 2026, the Australian authorities issued a recall for Scented Fun Sand – blue, green, red & yellow – which had been sold by the Reject Shop: “The play sand may cause a risk to health, as traces of anthophyllite asbestos and tremolite asbestos have been detected in some samples after laboratory testing.” The toxic sand products had been available nationwide between January 13, 2025 and May 7, 2026 and were made in China. See (Product recall): Scented Fun Sand – blue, green, red & yellow.

Asbestos Trade Data

May 22, 2026

Recent asbestos trade data uploaded to the website of the United States Geological Service (USGS) recorded that global asbestos production for 2024 and 2025 was respectively 949,000 and 960,000 tonnes (t) “a decrease of nearly 55% from approximately 2 million tonnes in 2000.” The new data also showed an apparent “collapse” in Russian asbestos production. The output for 2024 and 2025 was 306,900t and 310,000t respectively. Considering that total annual Russian asbestos production for the five years preceding 2024 averaged ~715,000t, the discrepancies were noteworthy. See: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Asbestos.

New Cost-Benefit Analysis

May 22, 2026

At the end of last month (April, 2026), an independent economic impact assessment on a total asbestos ban in Cambodia was launched at a high-profile event in Phnom Penh. The report, which was funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and conducted by Alluvium Pty Ltd., included input from key Cambodian ministries. The findings were categorical: “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.” See: Study: Cambodia’s Asbestos Ban Would Yield $4 in Health Benefits for Every $1 Spent.

Asbestos Roofing: Update

May 22, 2026

Data on the findings of the 2024 housing census in Moldova, which were published on May 9, 2026 by the National Bureau of Statistics, were disturbing: though asbestos was banned in Moldova in late 2024, 80% of residential buildings are roofed with asbestos-containing materials. The affected buildings were mostly private homes in rural areas. Twenty-eight percent of relatively new structures also had asbestos roofing. Despite national asbestos prohibitions, homeowners with asbestos roofing are not obliged to remove it. See: Experts sound the alarm: In Moldova, 81% of housing was built before 1991.

Epidemiological Revelations

May 22, 2026

A new paper in The Lancet which analyzed age-standardised mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to asbestos exposures stratified by sex and region for the year 2023 found regional disparities as well as incongruencies between male and female data. Whilst rates were decreasing in North America, there were rising rates of lung cancer and mesothelioma amongst women in tropical and southern Latin America, especially in Brazil and Argentina. The coauthors suggested that: “these disparities likely reflect differences in environmental and industrial regulatory practices, as well as gendered occupational exposure patterns.” See: Burden of cancer attributable to occupational asbestos exposure in the Americas, 1990–2023: an analysis using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.

Revised Guidelines for Asbestos Testing

May 22, 2026

A document setting out the UK Government’s current position on “the most appropriate testing methodologies for detecting asbestos in consumer products containing sand such as toys, hobby and decorative products” was updated on May 6, 2026. The technical advisory note for businesses and industry issued by the Office for Product Standards and Safety (OPSS) recommended the use of Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy or Transmission Electron Microscopy “because they can more reliably identify low asbestos concentrations, below 0.1%, and fine or thin asbestos fibres likely to be present in contaminated products.” See (Updated Guidance): Testing for asbestos in sand.

Victim’s Posthumous Victory

May 20, 2026

A court in Sardinia ordered Italy’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) to pay €200,000 (US$232,400) plus lifetime pensions to the family of a Naval mechanic who died at age 69 from lung adenocarcinoma. The deceased had worked for 20 years on asbestos-contaminated pipes and in engine rooms and environments on board military vessels. The MoD was also ordered to include the victim’s name on a roll call of honor of service personnel who were victims of duty. See: La Maddalena, died of cancer caused by asbestos on ships: huge compensation from the Ministry.

Doorstop Recalls!

May 20, 2026

On May 7, 2026, the UK’s Office of Product Standards and Safety (OPSS) issued a nationwide recall for 35 novelty doorstops sold by the of Dunelms chain. According to the OPSS notice: “The products present a risk to health as the sand inside the doorstops may be contaminated with a quantity of asbestos.” The doorstops, which were made in China, had been sold in the UK between January 2019 and February 2026. See: Product Recall: Dunelm Novelty Doorstops (2603-0019).

Olin Policy Reversal

May 20, 2026

Earlier this month it was announced that the Olin Corporation, one of the few American companies still using asbestos in diaphragms for the production of chlorine, had withdrawn support for an industry lawsuit – backed by the American Chemistry Council and other chemical trade organizations – designed to postpone federal action on the implementation of a comprehensive US asbestos ban. Olin’s notice to the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit didn’t explain the reasons for the corporate U-turn. See: Olin Drops Lawsuit Opposing EPA’s Chrysotile Asbestos Rule (1).

Legacy Asbestos Hazard

May 20, 2026

Asbestos contamination in abandoned US army bases which were established on the Turks and Caicos Islands – a British Overseas Territory – remain a potent health hazard to local people. According to comments made in February 2026 by Premier Washington Misick he had: “written to the UK saying that to a large extent it is part of its responsibility to ensure the safe removal of the asbestos from those sites. That includes if they need to engage with the United States, because when the exit agreement was structured that should have been a part of it.” The Premier expressed his disappointment at the lack of constructive engagement by the British Foreign Secretary. See: UK faces renewed calls to help with South Base asbestos removal.

Asbestos Pass-the-Parcel

May 20, 2026

Residents of asbestos-contaminated homes in Merafong, North West Province and Kaalfontein, Gauteng Province remain in limbo as local, provincial and federal authorities in South Africa argue about the responsibility for removing banned asbestos roofing on government-subsidized homes. Municipal officials alleged it was the duty of the Province to address these issues whilst they blamed the national government. According to a spokesperson for a civil society group campaigning on this issue: “These people are aware of the danger associated with asbestos, but there is nothing they can do because most of them are poor and unemployed.” See: Gauteng RDP homes still have dangerous asbestos roofs after 30 years.

Asbestos Scandal: Update

May 20, 2026

Public concerns continue to grow over more discoveries of asbestos-contaminated imports from Austrian quarries. The latest area where the toxic material was identified was Zalaegerszeg, a city in western Hungary. According to its Mayor Zoltán Balaicz the contaminated crushed stone was used in building and renewing roads and parking areas in several parts of the city. Once an accredited laboratory confirmed the presence of asbestos in a gravel-covered parking area at the corner of Mártírok Road and Kisfaludy Street, the lot was closed. Investigations continue regarding the use of the contaminated material on private driveways, courtyards and paved residential surfaces. See: Dangerous asbestos-contaminated stone found in another Hungarian city.

Toxic Toys!

May 18, 2026

The piece by Dr. Roberto Gindro cited below detailed the ongoing global asbestos crisis caused by the sale of asbestos-contaminated children’s toys. The author recapped international developments and provided a balanced appraisal of the public hazard posed by the contamination. He concluded that “the most prudent choice is not to eliminate all sensory games, but to buy traceable products, check official recalls, avoid items of uncertain origin and follow the instructions of the authorities.” See: Sabbia cinetica e amianto: i rischi reali e come garantire la sicurezza dei giocattoli [Kinetic sand and asbestos: the real risks and how to ensure the safety of toys].