News Archive

A New Zealand Disputes Tribunal ordered the Kmart retail chain to pay $15,185.42 to cover costs associated with asbestos testing and remediation to parents Elle Chrisp and David Dingwall whose toddlers played with asbestos-contaminated sand sold by Kmart. According to referee Cynthia Hawes, the sand should not have been offered for sale as it “was unsafe, not fit for purpose and not of acceptable quality under the Consumer Guarantees Act.” See: Disputes Tribunal orders Kmart to pay Christchurch couple over contaminated sand.

Asbestos Diagnosis Camp

Aug 26, 2026

According to South Africa’s Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, medical personnel at the new health screening camps set up in the former asbestos mining town of Mafafe, Limpopo Province and surrounding high-risk areas are utilizing “ultra-portable digital X-ray machines to improve early detection of asbestos-related illnesses…” Abandoned asbestos mines throughout the Province pose an ongoing health hazard as the remediation work carried out at these sites was inadequate or incomplete. See: Health Dept rolls out portable X-ray machines for early asbestos detection.

Asbestos in Schools

Aug 26, 2026

During an August 17th, 2026 press conference, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Arthur Steinberg called on the municipal school district to improve the oversight of renovations being carried out in schools contaminated with asbestos. After millions of dollars were spent over nearly two years, it is still not safe for 400+ pupils and 90 staff members to return to Kensington High School. Alternative premises at the Austin Meehan Middle School were secured seven miles away. See: Philadelphia’s school asbestos problem is already derailing back-to-school.

The Sinking of the São Paulo

Aug 26, 2026

The sinking in 2023 of Brazil’s former flagship the São Paulo by the Brazilian Navy was retold in the article cited below. Purchased from France in 2000 for $12 million, the vessel never really lived up to expectations. It was plagued with mechanical faults and contained a cocktail of lethal materials including asbestos and heavy metals. After being rejected for scrapping by several destinations the 32,800-ton ship returned to Brazilian waters and was sunk about 350 kilometers off the country’s northeastern coast. See: Brazil Sank a 32,900-ton Aircraft Carrier Carrying 9.6 Tons of Toxic Asbestos 3 Miles Into the Atlantic.

Another Asbestos Scandal

Aug 26, 2026

It was reported last week that Hungary’s Minister of Social and Family Affairs Vilmos Kátai-Németh had filed a criminal complaint against an unknown defendant who had signed off in 2022 on the acquisition of 400 expensive containerized boilers, some of which were made in China and contained asbestos, a substance banned in Hungary. The boilers were purchased for use in social and state institutions. The Chinese boilers were never used after an engineering report found they “didn't meet environmental, electrical, fire safety, and occupational safety regulations…” See: Orbán government may have ordered asbestos-contaminated containerized boilers for social institutions, minister files complaint.

Asbestos Alert!

Aug 26, 2026

Italy’s Ministry of Health issued an alert to families, schools, nurseries, childcare facilities and municipalities warning them not to buy or use a 17 centimeters long elastic carrot toy which was found to be contaminated with tremolite asbestos. The toxic toy, which was made in China, was previously recalled by the EU Safety Gate Alert system as per notification SR/01963/26. According to the Ministry, the matter of how to dispose of the toxic toy was left to local authorities. See: Allerta del Ministero della Salute per Giocattolo Contenente Amianto [Ministry of Health Warning for Toy Containing Asbestos].

Diagnosis Camp in Mafefe

Aug 24, 2026

On August 17, 2026, a new initiative was implemented in Mafefe – a former asbestos mining town in the Limpopo Province of South Africa; the local population is suffering from a “public health crisis caused by unmitigated environmental asbestos contamination from mines that largely shut down over four decades [ago].” The inauguration of the integrated community medical program, was attended by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba. Local people, including former miners, will be screened for a range of asbestos-related diseases. See: Motsoaledi, Ramathuba to Lead Asbestos Health Screening Drive in Mafefe.

Long Wait for Justice

Aug 24, 2026

After a wait of 18 years, Brazil’s former asbestos giant Eternit S.A. was ordered to pay compensation of R$2.3 million (US$441,000) for the 2008 mesothelioma death of a 66-year-old worker. The unanimous decision was handed down on August 12 by the Superior Labor Court in São Paulo, which acknowledged the link between the deceased’s toxic workplace exposures and the deadly asbestos cancer he contracted. See: Eternit é condenada em R$ 2,3 milhões por morte de trabalhador exposto a amianto [Eternit ordered to pay R$2.3 million in damages for the death of a worker exposed to asbestos].

Asbestos & Gender

Aug 24, 2026

Asbestos victims are generally assumed to be male construction, mining or factory workers. This stereotype is no longer accurate, if it ever was. According to a new analysis uploaded earlier this month to the website of Australia’s Trade Union Abroad – APHEDA: “Across Asia and the Pacific, where asbestos-containing materials are still manufactured and used… women, migrant workers, informal workers, children, older people, and persons with disabilities are affected by asbestos exposure.” Many of those at highest risk are “invisible” workers, employed in the informal sector and/or engaged in emergency response and recovery services. See: Asbestos Is a Gender Justice Issue.

Update: Asbestos Eradication Program

Aug 24, 2026

On August 13, 2026, Dr. Mamo B. Mamo – the Director General of Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) – gave evidence to a parliamentary committee on national efforts to implement a national asbestos ban. Also discussed during the session were safe disposal guidelines for asbestos material and the schedule for remediating and/or demolishing asbestos-contaminated public buildings. Before prohibitions were in place, asbestos roofing was widely used in Kenya for “government housing, educational institutions, and public infrastructure projects…” See: NEMA Chief Summoned to Parliament Over Status of Asbestos Ban Implementation.

From Asbestos Mine to Panda Reserve

Aug 24, 2026

The ecological remediation of abandoned asbestos mines in China’s Sichuan region to improve the habitat for Giant Pandas remains an ongoing challenge as explained by the August 15th article cited below. Restoration work of the area began in 2010 with an initial three-year plan for work on the 250.93-hectare site. By last year (2025), the project had reached a phase of routine management with local people praising the safer living conditions in nearby communities. See: 石棉县：矿山的“新衣”如何穿得漂亮、穿得牢固？丨和谐共生 [Shimian County: How to Give Mines a “New Look” That Is Both Beautiful and Durable? | Harmonious Coexistence].

AI Technology for Asbestos Diagnoses

Aug 24, 2026

A paper published on August 10, 2026 in the peer-reviewed journal of Applied Sciences as part of the 2nd Edition of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Healthcare series examined the feasibility of using “an automated framework for detecting pleural plaques (PPs) at the patient level using a single chest CT scan.” A testing protocol for PPs was developed by French researchers; it was used to evaluate health records of 1,241 retired workers with known occupational asbestos exposures. The authors of the study concluded that the new procedure had a “strong potential for automated patient-level identification of pleural plaques from a single CT scan.” See: AI-Driven Automated Detection of Pleural Plaques on Chest CT Scans in Retired Asbestos-Exposed Workers.

Dire Asbestos Assessment

Aug 21, 2026

It was reported on August 13, 2026 that Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS) had categorized as “uninhabitable” houses with asbestos roofs because they did not meet building durability criteria and posed a health risk. Unfortunately, many properties in the country are covered with asbestos-cement roofing materials and tiles. According to the head of the BPS Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti “the highest percentage of households using asbestos roofs by province are in the Bangka Belitung Islands (56.7%) followed by Jakarta (54.6%).” See: BPS: Rumah Beratap Asbes Masuk Tak Layak Huni, Bangka Belitung Tertinggi [BPS: Asbestos-Roofed Houses Ranked Uninhabitable, Bangka Belitung Highest].

Asbestos Exposé of London Transport

Aug 21, 2026

Another stunning piece of investigative journalism was uploaded on August 10, 2026 to the Confront Power website. Having reviewed the history of asbestos use on the London underground system, the article examined stories told by past and current employees who had experienced toxic workplace exposures. It was shocking to read the description of recent asbestos incidents provided by underground worker and whistleblower Micky Steeds who in March 2026 finally won his case at an employment tribunal for his unfair dismissal in 2023. See: Mind the dust: Asbestos disease and the London Underground.

More Asbestos Recalls!

Aug 21, 2026

On August 11 & 13, 2026, EU asbestos recalls were issued for three toxic toys, all of which contained contaminated sand with asbestos measuring up to 5% by weight. The toy recalled on August 11 by Alert number SR/02251/26 was a Super Stretchy Soldier and was made in the Netherlands. The toys recalled on August 13 were by Alert number SR/02291/26 a stretchy mouse toy made in China and by Alert number: SR/02290/26 Fun Sand Scented Blueberry. This brings the total number of EU asbestos recalls for toys this year to 60. See:
Alert number: SR/02251/26. Super Stretchy Soldier.
Alert number: SR/02290/26. Fun Sand Scented Blueberry.
Alert number: SR/02291/26. Sand-filled stretchy mouse toy.

Asbestos Legacy of US Army

Aug 21, 2026

US military bases in the Pacific command contain a lethal cocktail of toxic materials, including asbestos, according to a heavily redacted report by the Pentagon. Following on-site inspections at 11 US facilities, an emergency management advisory was issued in August with the full report going to senior Defence Department officials. According to unnamed Pentagon sources, the built environment on the bases was suffering “severe degradation” as “many of the buildings date back to the 1970s,” a time when the use of asbestos-containing material was routine. See: US Pacific bases severely degraded, Pentagon inspector-general warns.

Quantifying the Costs of Asbestos Use

Aug 21, 2026

The paper cited below by researchers in Colombia, the US and Australia was published on August 11, 2026 in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Using data from 2022, the authors calculated that the current economic burden of asbestos-related diseases in Colombia was between US $71 million and US$180 million. The financial impact of this toxic legacy extended “far beyond healthcare expenditures when productivity losses and quality-of-life impacts are considered.” See: Economic Impact of Asbestos in Colombia: Estimation of the Direct and Societal Costs of Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma in 2022.

Asbestos Recall

Aug 21, 2026

On August 12, 2026, the UK’s Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued a recall for Kiddo World Make Your Own Sensory Bin Construction Site (2608-0004). The description of the product on the OPSS website read as follows: “Box of sensory toys including glow-in-the-dark stones, magnetic sand and construction vehicles.” The notification reported that the reason for the recall was that: “The product presents a risk to health as the play sand may be contaminated with a small quantity of asbestos." Like many other toys and children’s products recalled this year in the UK, this item was made in China. See: Product Recall: Kiddo World Make Your Own Sensory Bin Construction Site (2608-0004).

Asbestos Death of Railway Worker

Aug 19, 2026

In October, 2025, former railway worker Vincenzo Faggiani died of mesothelioma, a month after he had been diagnosed; he was 66 years old. For 39 years, the deceased had worked at the major railway repair workshop in Turin (OGR) and on the Piedmontese railway network. On August 10, 2026, his son Aldo lodged a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office of Turin, Italy. See: Amianto, dopo quarant'anni di lavoro nelle Ferrovie Vincenzo Faggiani è morto in un mese: il figlio Aldo chiede giustizia in Procura [Asbestos, after forty years of work on the Railways Vincenzo Faggiani died in a month: his son Aldo asks the Public Prosecutor's Office for justice].

Asbestos at the University

Aug 19, 2026

Information released under New Zealand’s Official Information Act alerted electricians and maintenance staff working at the University of Otago to the “high risk” of potential exposures to asbestos-contaminated material in the plant rooms and risers, or utility shafts of the Adams Building. This situation was first reported in 2018. Upon learning about the contamination earlier this year, trade services staff in the Adams Building registered their concerns. The plant room was closed for tests which established that it was “safe to continue regular activities;” a clearance certificate was issued in May 2026 when the asbestos-containing material was removed. See: Workers in University of Otago building exposed to asbestos for years.

Towards an Asbestos-Free Indonesia!

Aug 19, 2026

Indonesia’s Ministry of Health (MoH) is progressing efforts to eradicate the asbestos hazard by 2035 by strengthening the country’s integrated Asbestos Exposure Control Policy. Pursuant to this objective, the MoH is taking steps to: produce a national asbestos inventory; ensure strict supervision of asbestos use; minimize toxic exposures to the public; encourage the industrial transition to asbestos-free technologies; issue a unilateral and comprehensive ban on the use of all types of asbestos. See: Ancaman Mematikan di Balik Atap Murah, Kenapa Asbes Berbahaya? [The Deadly Threat Behind a Cheap Roof, Why Is Asbestos Dangerous?].

Post-Disaster Asbestos Hazard

Aug 19, 2026

The summer of 2026 has been dominated by news of devastating wildfires in many countries on many continents. The article cited below focused on the after-effects of fires which occurred this month in Spokane, Washington. The author, an environmental engineer, warned that people returning to homes which escaped the fires could be unaware of potential hazards they might encounter such as the presence of “smoke, toxic ash and chemicals from burning buildings and vehicles” and contamination of the water supply. See: Wildfires can leave surviving homes and their water unsafe – safety tips for residents as they return.

Another EU Asbestos Recall!

Aug 19, 2026

On August 11, 2026, the European Commission’s Safety Gate system – the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products – issued Alert number: SR/02251/26 for sand-filled figurines sold under the name of “Super Stretchy Soldier.” According to the official notification the toxic toy, which was made in the Netherlands: “could rupture and the filling of the inside could come out. The sand inside contains asbestos (measured value up to 5% by weight). Asbestos could cause cancer.” See: Alert number: SR/02251/26. Sand-filled figurine toy.

Montana Victims Abandoned!

Aug 19, 2026

A life-saving medical clinic which had been providing services for people with asbestos-related diseases in Libby, Montana during one of the worst public health disasters in U.S. history announced plans for closure by August 31. A subsequent Facebook posting reported that the Center for Asbestos Related Disease was permanently closed as of August 10. After 25 years of local access to specialist medical care, Libby’s asbestos-injured were cast adrift following legal actions by asbestos defendants and the withdrawal of government support. See: After Generations of Asbestos Exposure, Sickened Libby Residents Wonder Where to Turn for Care After Clinic Closure.

New Toxic Toys Exposé

Aug 17, 2026

Ground-breaking research by concerned New Zealand parents exposed the misinformation disseminated by retailers and government officials about the hazards posed by children’s use of asbestos-contaminated toys. According to the narrative spread by Kmart – a “highly popular chain of discount department stores” in Australia and New Zealand – the use of these products was “low risk.” A report finally released by the New Zealand authorities showed that the source of this advice was a corporate risk assessment that “did not involve any additional testing or even a visual inspection of the contaminated products.” See: Elle’s twins played with asbestos-contaminated coloured sand for a year. Why wasn’t she warned of its danger?