News Archive

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].

Asbestos Mining Legacy

May 18, 2026

The May 5, 2026 newspaper article referenced below detailed findings in a research paper published on March 25, 2026 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine: An Evaluation of Mortality Rates and Their Determinants in a Cohort of Former Asbestos Miners in South Africa. The analysis of data from 11,000 South African ex-miners showed that “overall mortality of this group was 4% higher than in the general population – and that women who had worked in asbestos mining had a 17% higher risk of dying than expected.” See: Higher than expected death rate for women in asbestos mining.

Another Sand Recall

May 18, 2026

On May 4, 2026, the European Union’s consumer watchdog agency issued a recall for Blue Decorative Sand Granules made in China stating that: “The product contains asbestos fibres (measured value: 0.33% by weight). Asbestos could cause cancer.” From the EU Alert it seemed that the product had exclusively been sold online. It was initially recalled by the Dutch authorities. See: Alert number: SR/01352/26 - Decorative granules. Brand Name Dekogranulat.

Online Asbestos Resource

May 18, 2026

Italy’s National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) in collaboration with the National Asbestos Help Desk uploaded a new asbestos risk assessment resource on International Workers’ Memorial Day (April 28) (see: Gestione del rischio amianto negli edifici: ruoli e indicazioni operative [Asbestos Risk Management in Buildings: Roles and Operational Guidelines]). The monograph, which is only available electronically, features up-to-date technical and scientific information to support duty holders tasked with managing the asbestos risk in the built environment. See: Online il nuovo volume sulla gestione del rischio amianto negli edifice [The new volume on asbestos risk management in buildings is now online].

Chrysotile Role in Tumour Causation

May 18, 2026

The May 1, 2026 article from the Annals of Work Exposures and Health cited below confirmed the role of chrysotile (white) asbestos exposure in the causation of mesothelioma and lung adenocarcinoma among patients in Scotland. The eight coauthors of the paper, who were based in Glasgow and Edinburgh, concluded “that the contribution of asbestos to Lung Cancer in Scotland may be greatly underestimated.” See: Chrysotile asbestos accelerates tumour development in mouse models of mesothelioma and lung cancer. (The full article is behind a pay wall.)

Asbestos Stalemate in Parliament

May 18, 2026

Calls by British MPs for a national, digital record of the presence of asbestos throughout the nation’s schools – an asbestos register – were rejected by Government Ministers last month on the grounds that “it was not guaranteed to make a difference.” In February, MPs had warned of the “material risk” of remediation work of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in schools causing structural damage and liberating asbestos contained within contaminated products incorporated within the built environment. See: Calls to launch national register of asbestos in schools rejected.

Asbestos Anomaly?

May 15, 2026

The April 20th informative article cited below detailed the growing global scandal over discoveries of asbestos fibers in children’s toys in 12+ countries and asked why the alarm had yet to be sounded in the US. When a spokesperson at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was asked about the discrepancy, he replied that the CPSC was “monitoring the issue, and that it will take action if needed.” No asbestos recalls of children’s toys have been reported in the US in 2025-26. Consumer rights’ campaigners and asbestos victims’ activists are urging regulators to take action in order to prevent toxic exposures. See: Asbestos in Children's Play Sand Triggers Recalls in at Least a Dozen Countries.