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Asbestos fibers found in baby powder during routine tests by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prompted a recall earlier this week of talc-based Dynacare Baby Powder in 35 US States. Commenting on this development, a spokesperson for the FDA said: “If talc mining sites are not carefully chosen or if proper steps are not taken to adequately purify the talc ore, it may contain asbestos.” The product was also sold on Amazon. Dynacare is asking customers to stop using the product and return it for a refund. See: Baby powder potentially laced with asbestos now under recall in 35 states.

The death of veteran Australian journalist and broadcaster Matt Peacock was announced on October 31, 2024. Matt was known around the world for his work exposing the crimes of Australian asbestos giant: James Hardie Industries (JH). He joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1973 and was its foreign correspondent in London, Washington and New York. His seminal work “Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed” was made into a popular ABC mini-series – called Devil's Dust – which dramatized the consequences for workers of putting their trust in JH. Matt died suddenly, aged 72, of pancreatic cancer. See: Matt Peacock, former ABC journalist renowned for investigating asbestos issues, has died aged 72.

Sufferers of asbestos-related cancer in the London area will now have the support of clinical nurse specialist Karen Connolly who will be based at St Bartholomew's Hospital, the oldest hospital in London. Commenting on the news, Nurse Connolly, who has been a lung cancer nurse for 10 years, said: “I’m hoping to play a role in developing the treatment, care and support available for mesothelioma patients and their families ensuring that they get access to new and effective treatments for their symptoms.” This post is being funded by the charity: London Asbestos Support Awareness Group. See: New mesothelioma specialist nurse to support London’s cancer patients.

A detailed and well-written article in Korea’s Women’s Times Magazine explained the government’s strict health and safety regime governing the removal and disposal of asbestos-contaminated building material. Having discussed the ubiquity of asbestos products throughout the country, the author explained the consequences for human health posed by exposures to the toxic material and highlighted the many measures put in place by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Education Health to prevent such exposures. See: [정책진단] 석면 건축물·슬레이트 철거 지원사업 잘되고 있나 [Is the asbestos building and slate demolition support project going well?].

It sounded like a good idea: making a memorial sculpture out of parts of a World War II bomber that was shot down over Markermeer Lake in the central Netherlands in 1943. Unfortunately, it was found that Sculptor Laura O’Neill unwittingly used pieces of a wrecked BK716 Short Stirling plane found in the lake four years ago that contained asbestos. After initial tests came back positive for asbestos, follow-up tests are being conducted. The memorial commemorated the bravery of the seven men who died in the plane crash. See: Asbestos found in memorial made from remains of wartime bomber.

The final paper of a special issue of the Lung Cancer Journal – Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer: An Update – was recently uploaded. Another seven papers on this subject are also available at the link below and cover topics such as: asbestos history and use; what a reporting pathologist needs to know; ultrafine particulate definitions vis-à-vis carcinogenicity; screening for lung cancer; environmental asbestos exposures etc. All the papers can be downloaded free from the journal’s website. See: Special Issue: Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer: An Update.

Earlier this month, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and Ministry of the Environment announced a joint initiative to conduct asbestos surveillance at construction sites around the country during October and November 2024. During these inspections, technical experts will ensure that work is being undertaken in compliance with mandatory safety laws and regulations intended to prevent the dispersion of asbestos into the environment and ensure that asbestos-containing industrial waste is being safely disposed of. See: 綿対策に係る全国一斉パトロールを実施します [We will be conducting nationwide patrols to combat asbestos].

Brazilian developments are discussed in the feature cited below in light of asbestos prohibitions adopted in the US earlier this year. Although the Supreme Court (STF) banned the commercial exploitation of asbestos in Brazil in 2017, asbestos production for export purposes continues at the asbestos mine in Goiás State. The STF was scheduled to rule on shutting down the mine weeks ago but instead said that the decision had been postponed. See: EUA proíbem compra e uso de amianto no país e estimulam Brasil a discutir prejuízos de ser o terceiro maior produtor do material para exportação no mundo [US bans purchase and use of asbestos in the country and encourages Brazil to discuss the losses of being the third largest producer of this material for export in the world].

An October 5, 2024 meeting at the Bangka Belitung (Polmanbabel) Manufacturing Polytechnic, considered the consequences of the use of asbestos-containing brake pads. On the panel of expert speakers were representatives of the Indonesian Doctors Association, Yamaha, Honda, and brake-pad manufacturers. Among the facts conveyed were: asbestos exposures can cause cancers; Honda banned asbestos use in brake pads in 2006; cheaper asbestos brake pads have a considerably shorter service life than safer alternatives. See: Polman Negeri Babel Gelar FGD Bahas Bahaya Asbestos di Kampas Rem, Soroti Dampak Kesehatan dan Keamanan [Polmanbabel Holds Focus Discussion Group to Discuss Dangers of Asbestos in Brake Pads, Highlights Health and Safety Impacts].

A magazine article published this week highlighted the pioneering work of Richard (Dick) Jackson, an insulation engineer, a dockyard worker, a trade union safety representative, a grassroots organizer, an asbestos victims’ advocate and an international campaigner. On July 15, 1979, Dick founded Hull Action on Safety and Health, later renamed Hull Asbestos Action Group (HAAG), and over the next fifteen years proceeded to fight 250 compensation cases and help “turn the tide of industrial and medical opinion” on asbestos. He died on October 30th, 1994 from the signature asbestos cancer, mesothelioma. Thirty years on, we are still fighting many of the same battles. See: Remembering Richard Jackson.

According to an article in the Laval Courier, the majority of the 120+ buildings in the Quebec town of Laval which are listed on an asbestos registry are operated by the municipality, including the Laval School Service Center (CSSL) and the Laval Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS). Asbestos-containing products are found in 85% of Laval’s primary schools and 93% of secondary schools. Other affected facilities include: City Hall, nursing homes, hospitals, administrative offices and group homes. Measures being taken to protect workers and building users from hazardous exposures are discussed. See: Plus de 120 bâtiments publics avec de l’amiante à Laval [More than 120 public buildings with asbestos in Laval].

The Court of Teramo, Italy ordered the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) to compensate the family of a train driver who died from an asbestos-related disease he contracted as a result of hazardous workplace exposures. The verdict for the surviving family of Dionisio Merli comes 14 years after the deceased had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. INAIL fought the claim saying that the disease had been caused by the claimant’s smoking history. See: Sentenza storica: l'Inail condannato per malattia professionale da amianto [Historic ruling: INAIL convicted [i.e. ordered to pay compensation] in occupational asbestos disease [case]].

Six years after asbestos removal work began on Barcelona’s trains, the final asbestos-containing train on the L1 metro line was withdrawn from service. As well as being in the trains, asbestos was on roofs and in the tunnels and stations of the transport system. The company in charge says that 90% of the asbestos has been removed and that a €1.3 million (US$1.4m) contract has been signed to remove the remaining 10%. Dozens of employees and former employees have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. See: El último viaje del tren con amianto: la L1 se despide del último convoy en la red metropolitana [The last journey of the train containing asbestos: the L1 says goodbye to the last convoy on the metropolitan network].

At an event on October 24, 2024 at the Legislative Palace in Mexico City, politicians, medical and scientific experts called for an immediate end to asbestos use in Mexico. During presentations, speakers considered the consequences of decades of asbestos consumption in Mexico and called for measures to quantify the consequences of toxic exposures amongst the population and a program to eradicate asbestos from the country’s infrastructure. See: Piden en foro de análisis sobre la Ley General de Erradicación del Asbesto que se apruebe una reforma legislativa en la materia [In an analysis forum on the General Law for the Eradication of Asbestos, approval is sought for legislative reform on the matter].

The commentary cited below by Professor Justin Stebbing of Anglia Ruskin University highlighted key aspects of the UK’s ongoing asbestos disaster, including the dangerous conditions found in the majority of UK schools caused by the presence of deteriorating asbestos-containing material. “It seems,” Professor Stebbing concluded that the “only way to finally eradicate the health risks of asbestos is to remove it from public buildings. Strict enforcement of regulations, public education, safe removal programs and support for those who’ve been exposed to asbestos will be essential in ensuring that asbestos related health risks are finally eradicated.” See: How asbestos exposure continues to be a dire health risk – 25 years after it was banned.

An event organized by asbestos industry stakeholders masquerading as an “international scientific and practical conference” took place earlier this month to spread industry propaganda regarding the safety of the “controlled use of asbestos.” Co-organized and attended by pro-asbestos proponents from Kazakhstan – the world’s second biggest asbestos-producer – delegates were told of the unique properties of chrysotile (white) asbestos, its regional availability and its comparatively low price. See: Здоровье и хризотил: научная конференция в Кыргызстане даст толчок исследованиям минеральных волокон в СНГ [Health and Chrysotile: Scientific Conference in Kyrgyzstan to Boost Mineral Fiber Research in CIS].

In recent weeks there has been a flurry of media coverage in newspapers and online about various aspects of the UK’s asbestos epidemic. Simultaneously, the Daily Mail launched a campaign – Asbestos: Britain's Hidden Killer – to establish a digital national asbestos database to prevent avoidable exposures as part of “a long-term strategic plan to eradicate asbestos risk from British infrastructure.” It’s pretty damning that more than a century after the asbestos hazard was first acknowledged by the British Government, so little has been done. One can but hope that the new 335 MPs, who constitute a majority of the House of Commons, will be more proactive on this deadly workplace hazard than their predecessors. [Read full article]

Proposals to ban asbestos are currently under consideration by the Mexican Congress with a discussion of the latest draft of the Asbestos Eradication Law scheduled for October 24, 2024 in the Legislative Palace. For years medical experts and civil society groups in Mexico have been calling for action on the asbestos hazard. Now that asbestos use has dwindled to 40 tonnes/year, these calls are being acted on. The loss of the Mexican asbestos market will have less of an impact than the loss of support from Mexican asbestos stakeholders who have vigorously participated in initiatives by industry lobbyists to influence national, regional and global asbestos dialogues. [Read full article]

As the 21st century dawned, China was both the world’s second biggest asbestos-consuming (382,315 tonnes/t) and producing (315,000t) country. By 2022, however, annual usage had fallen to 261,000t (a decrease of 32%) and production to 130,000t (a 59% fall). Figures for the last few years corroborated the continued decline. The reason for this U-turn was explained in a paper published last month which stated that China’s official policy on asbestos had undergone a major shift in 2013-14; intriguingly, the co-authors gave no more information and declined to provide footnotes to substantiate this statement. This being the case, the content of another September article was in direct contrast to observed trends. Want to know more…. [Read full article]

Just when you thought you had seen it all, you realize you were wrong. The lengths to which asbestos pushers will go to continue to ride the asbestos gravy train truly knows no bounds. This year, an asbestos trade association – Indonesia’s Fibre Cement Manufacturers’ Association (FICMA) – is trialing a new legal stratagem designed to: counteract a Supreme Court ruling unfavorable to the asbestos sector and cower campaigners brave enough to challenge the industry’s dominance. The audacity of this legal manoeuvre is breathtaking and, to my knowledge, totally unprecedented. The FICMA lawsuit, which targeted the consumers’ protection organization that had petitioned the Supreme Court to mandate Government action on the asbestos hazard, is claiming substantial damages from the NGO for loss of future profits. [Read full article]

Romana Blasotti Pavesi was a member of a club that no one wanted to join; she lost her husband Mario, daughter Maria Rosa, son Ottavio, sister Libera, nephew Enrico and cousin Anna to the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. Only Mario had worked with asbestos. All the others had been exposed to carcinogenic fibers in the built environment and in the air of their home town Casale Monferrato, the municipality at the center of Italy’s asbestos epidemic. In the face of her own losses and those of so many others, Romana dedicated her life to “the fight against asbestos.” The news of Romana’s death, at the age of 95 on September 11, 2024, sparked off intensive media coverage at home and a global outpouring of appreciation from fellow campaigners. [Read full article]

In a place long forgotten by the industrial enterprises which abused its people and polluted their land, a human-made miracle is taking place. From September 2 until September 20, 2024 an asbestos taskforce is providing free health screening for 450 individuals from the towns of Bom Jesus da Serra, Poçes, Caetanos and Planalto in the Brazilian State of Bahia. The bulk of the funding for this program was allocated from money impounded by the Labor Public Ministry from penalties paid by defendants which had been convicted of failing to provide mandatory occupational protections for their workers. [Read full article]

September 3, 2024 marked a turning point in the 30-year French battle for asbestos justice. A struggle to hold to account some of the people responsible for the country’s deadly asbestos epidemic collapsed when the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) issued a ruling upholding a 2023 dismissal by the Paris Court of Appeals of criminal charges against executives of the country’s biggest asbestos group: Eternit. This was the latest in a series of defeats faced by asbestos victims and their legal representatives. More than a hundred years after Labor Inspector Denis Auribault reported excess mortality of asbestos workers in a textile factory in Condé-sur-Noireau, Calvados, French courts continue to fail the victims. Shame on them! [Read full article]

Until the 1970s, Canada was the world’s largest asbestos producer with mines in Quebec, British Columbia and Newfoundland. Although it was soon to be overtaken by output from mines in Soviet Russia, Canada remained the global asbestos cheerleader for decades to come. The price paid for Canada’s asbestos profits included lives shortened and families shattered. A national epidemic of asbestos-related diseases, discoveries of asbestos material contained within the national infrastructure and the perennial problem of what to do with huge mountains of asbestos mining waste continue long after the asbestos cash flow evaporated. [Read full article]

An insightful podcast broadcast on the BBC this summer raised the profile of the hazard posed by the presence of talc in make-up, cosmetics and personal hygiene products in the UK. The first 14-minute episode of “Talc Tales” – part of the How They Made Us Doubt Everything series – featured the case of British woman Hannah Fletcher, who was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma at the age of 41. Ms. Fletcher believed that she contracted the signature asbestos cancer as a result of exposures to toxic talcum powder. Spurred by this allegation, podcaster Phoebe Keane submitted the contents of her make-up bag for analysis. The results, which were delivered in the last of the five episodes, validated the ongoing hazard posed by the use of talc in cosmetics. [Read full article]

In a joint press release issued on August 20, 2024, representatives of asbestos victims and trade unionists from Asia, Europe, Latin America and Australia expressed concern over recent developments at Brazil’s Supreme Court (STF), an esteemed and venerable institution. According to the official court schedule, the verdict on the unconstitutionality of a state law allowing asbestos mining and exporting to continue despite a national ban was expected on August 14. Without a word of warning or explanation, the case disappeared from the court docket. An appeal was made to the STF to “take the right course of action and reschedule the delivery of this ruling for the earliest opportunity” (Clique aqui para ler a versão em português). [Read full article]

Even though it is winter now in Brazil, Christmas has come early for Eternit SA, the country’s sole remaining asbestos producer. The week beginning August 12, 2024 was a bumper one for the company with plaudits a-plenty and gifts raining down. As Eternit emerged from more than six years of a court-supervised judicial reorganization process, it was lauded as an inspiration to Brazilian corporations “as a valuable example of how companies in crisis can reinvent themselves and thrive.” Contemporaneous developments at the Supreme Court and Goiás State Legislature made it abundantly clear that Eternit, whose asbestos exports are worth US $4,750,000+ per month, still had plenty of influential friends left. [Read full article]

As global demand collapses and competitors crowd into remaining markets, the Russian asbestos behemoth is weakening. At the same time as Russia’s traditional customer base is disintegrating, competitors in Kazakhstan and China are developing new trade routes and streamlining logistics to capitalize on the woes of Russian suppliers. As demand continues to decline, market forces may succeed where the Russian government has failed. With dwindling sales, Russia’s once mighty asbestos industry may no longer be financially viable. Time will tell. [Read full article]

In the compilation of the July 25, 2024 asbestos news items for IBAS, I noticed a pattern in the content available. The developments reported on that day from Asia, Europe and North America illustrated the evolution of the global asbestos agenda from the early days of promotion to the end stage of eradication with a stop en route to address claims by the injured. With so much political uncertainty and social instability on the horizon, it is reassuring to see that progress is being made to end the global epidemic of asbestos-related diseases and provide justice for the injured. The sooner humankind transitions to asbestos-free technology, the safer the world will be. [Read full article]

If asbestos producers have their way, the global epidemic of asbestos-related deaths could well continue into the 25th century. And yet asbestos, in all its forms, is categorized as a Group 1 carcinogen (“carcinogenic to humans”) by the International Agency on Research for Cancer. According to data published on July 22, 2024 in The Lancet, Asia bears the highest disease burden of lung cancer, with 63.1% of newly diagnosed lung cancers and 62.9% of lung cancer deaths occurring in the region…” It is no coincidence that the region with “the highest disease burden of lung cancer” is also the region with the highest consumption of asbestos. [Read full article]

At an art exhibition held in Dundee, Scotland on May 9, 2024 by the Scottish asbestos charity Asbestos Action, ten original portraits of asbestos victims by artist Craig Semple were displayed. The objective of the event was to show that people are “much more than their diagnoses.” Commenting on the day, the Charity’s General Manager Dianne Foster said: “Every single person who is diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition has a life, has a family, has friends, and it is a very unfair situation that people have been exposed to asbestos.” Positive feedback was received from many of the hundred or so people who attended the showing. [Read full article]

Last week, millions of readers of major UK newspapers were reminded of the country’s tragic asbestos legacy in stories about asbestos-related deaths from occupational, second-hand and environmental exposures. Almost simultaneously, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released figures confirming the continuation of the epidemic which has been killing Britons for over a century. According to new HSE data, 5,000 people+ die annually from asbestos-related diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, cancers of the larynx and stomach; there is no data for the number of asbestos-related deaths caused by cancers of the ovary and pharynx. Calls are being made for the new Labour Government to take action on this national scandal. [Read full article]

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Demonstration in Woluwe Park, Brussels, 2006

Under cloudy skies, members of Belgian and French Asbestos Victims' Associations from Dunkirk and Bourgogne marched side-by-side in the third annual demonstration organized by ABEVA, the Belgian Association of Asbestos Victims. Erik Jonckheere, ABEVA's Co-chairman, condemned the government which still refuses to recognize the plight of the asbestos injured.

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