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The commentary cited below – uploaded on February 22, 2026 – was written by Dr. Aseni Wickramatillake, Director of Sri Lanka’s Centre for Occupational Safety and Health. The author highlighted public health issues involved in reconstruction work in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah in December 2025. Among the problems mentioned was the use of asbestos-containing building products in the repair and/or construction of school buildings. “Schools are,” she wrote “spaces of prolonged, daily exposure making the continued presence of asbestos roofing especially troubling from both a health and ethical standpoint.” See: Rebuilding schools, repeating risks: Why Sri Lanka must act now on asbestos.

The first national voluntary recall for a children’s play sand product contaminated with asbestos was issued on February 19, 2026 by the Kodansha publishing company. The book recalled was: “Ukiyo-e: A Big Hit! Let's Make It with Sand! Ukiyo-e Art Creative Set” (ISBN: 9784065374474). Even though testing by four companies confirmed the playset’s contents were within legal standards, the company offered full refunds for returns. See: アスベスト検出「浮世絵アート」砂絵セット、講談社が希望者に返金・回収発表　分析4社で「基準内」含有確認 [Kodansha announces refunds and recalls for asbestos-detected "Ukiyo-e Art" sand painting sets; analysis by four companies confirms content is within standards].

On February 19, 2026 the iconic Dutch department store HEMA recalled all play and craft sand products because they may contain asbestos, after testing had found contamination “in at least one tube of products.” Although no recalls were issued by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority pending test results, multiple businesses recalled suspect items, including toys sold under the brand names: Action and Top1Toys. Dutch trade unionist Daniëlle Wiek warned of the hazard recalls posed to shop workers: “Shop employees aren’t trained to handle asbestos. That's specialized work.” See: HEMA recalls all play sand products due to asbestos contamination.

The Swiss Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (FSVO), responsible for children's toys, is closely monitoring the news of asbestos contamination of children’s products sold in Belgium and the Netherlands. The FSVO is “in close contact with the Swiss Toy Manufacturers Association” and both bodies sent samples of suspect toys to laboratories for analysis. Official advice is to keep the suspect products out of the reach of children and immediately dispose of “products purchased from foreign online platforms.” See: Des sables magiques livrés en Suisses contiennent de l'amiante [Magic sands sold in Switzerland contain asbestos].

An informative text uploaded on February 20, 2026 by minerologist Gunnar Ries explained to German readers the context and scope of the 2026 asbestos scandals sweeping Europe. The author detailed discoveries made in other jurisdictions which confirmed the presence of tremolite or chrysotile asbestos in some samples of children’s colored play sand; all types of asbestos are carcinogenic. Advice given included information on websites to monitor and procedures to follow should a contaminated play set or other suspicious products be present in a household. See: Asbest in Spielsand [Asbestos in play sand].

The Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence (MoD) opened an asbestos help desk to provide a central resource for current and former employees as well as third parties such as sub-contractors and cleaners with queries about occupational MoD asbestos exposures and potential illnesses resulting from them. According to Chief Personnel Officer Barbara de Greeff: “…personnel with concerns following the discovery of asbestos in several workshops within the Royal Netherlands Army” such as those in Leusden, Almelo and Oudemolen can secure updates on government investigations and possible benefits by phone or email. See: Defensie opent Loket Asbest [Defense opens Asbestos Desk].

It was reported last week that two Dutch retail chains – Top1Toys and Marskramer – had recalled “Creafun Sand Painting Farm,” playsets after a media investigation discovered that material contained in the toys was contaminated with tremolite asbestos. The toy remains on sale from other retail and online outlets. The NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) is conducting its own investigation and, as yet, has not taken any steps to address the situation. See: Top1Toys roept asbestspeelgoed terug, bijna twee weken na vondst door AD [Top1Toys recalls asbestos toys, almost two weeks after discovery by AD].

A qualitative analysis on a craft sand product – Silverback’s “Easy! Fun! Sand Art Set Hello Kitty” (ISBN: 9784861489327) – by an independent laboratory proved positive for tremolite asbestos even though the company had previously said the product was asbestos-free. The Japanese company marketing this product did not reply to questions about the contamination. See: 事業者「安全」宣言のハローキティ「砂絵セット」からアスベスト検出　使用・販売停止と自主回収を [Asbestos detected in Hello Kitty sand art set despite manufacturer's declaration of safety; halt use and sales, and voluntary recall required].

The UK’s Office for Product Safety and Standards issued a formal recall for toys suspected of containing asbestos on February 17, 2026. The toys listed included stretchable action figures sold under the brand name: Stretcherz Slammerz. They were recalled as they presented “a risk to health as the sand included in the set may be contaminated with a quantity of asbestos.” The product was made by HTI Toys and distributed by ASDA, the UK’s third largest supermarket chain. According to a February 18 update: The manufacturer “is now undertaking a recall.” See: Product Recall: HTI Toys Stretcherz Toys (2602-0156).

It was announced last week that the territory at the epicenter of Italy’s asbestos epidemic – Alessandria Province – had been allocated the sum of €2.5 million (US$2.9m) by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security to pay for asbestos remediation work in the city of Casale Monferrato and 47 municipalities. According to comments by regional and federal authorities, the financial support was a manifestation of their governments’ “commitment to public health and environmental safety.” See: Nuove risorse per le bonifiche dell’amianto nel SIN di Casale Monferrato: “Traguardo storico sempre più vicino” [New resources for asbestos remediation in the Casale Monferrato SIN: “Historic milestone getting closer and closer”].

Despite tonnes of asbestos waste material having been removed from beaches outside the town of Bluff, in New Zealand’s Southland region, more work is needed. According to a report presented in January 2026 by Rhiannon Suter, council manager for the Bluff Community Board: “‘Significant’ amounts of asbestos needed to be removed and up to 30-50 years of work was forecast.” The toxic material comes from a nearby historic landfill. While some of the landfill is protect by a seawall, other parts aren’t: “long-term modelling on erosion risk relating to climate change and potential sea level rise shows that additional work and further investment may be required…” See: The Bluff beach battling asbestos.

On February 17, the Paris Labor Court examined the files of dozens of metro drivers and maintenance workers who had been asking their employer – the RATP, a French state-owned enterprise that operates public transport systems primarily in Paris – for certificates of exposure to asbestos dust for four years. The affected workers also claimed compensation for asbestos anxiety caused by RATP’s delays. Previous inspections revealed that asbestos material had been found in the trains’ driving consoles and around the doors of the drivers’ cabs. See: Amiante: des conducteurs de métro attaquent la RATP en justice [Asbestos: metro drivers take RATP to court].

On Feb 13, 2026 it was reported that Quebec’s CNESST – the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail [Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work] – had ordered that the Lehmann research wing at Montreal’s Douglas Hospital be shut. The closure resulted from a burst pipe which had flooded four laboratories on January 27 and released asbestos fibers. Millions of dollars’ worth of equipment and research material had been destroyed. The building was closed under Article 186 of Quebec’s occupational health and safety law. See: CNESST orders shutdown of Douglas Hospital lab over asbestos risk after January flooding.

According to data from a recently published report, 170 people had died in the Italian Province of Rimini from mesothelioma between 1996 and 2025. The majority of the deceased had been exposed to asbestos at their workplaces; the worst affected industrial sectors were: construction (13.8% cases), railway maintenance (9.8%) and metalworkers (8.9%). Although the mesothelioma mortality incidence in Rimini was the lowest in the Emilia-Romagna Region, the number of cases remained significant. See: Mesotelioma, 170 casi nel Riminese dal 1996: l’amianto continua a colpire [Mesothelioma, 170 cases in the Rimini area since 1996: asbestos continues to strike].

On February 13, 2026, a UK Teachers’ Union – NASUWT – denounced the government’s continued failure to safeguard children and staff from asbestos contained in crumbling school buildings. According to the union, current plans call for the rebuilding of just 1% of the country’s 22,500 schools, most of which contain deteriorating asbestos material. Calling for a greater sense of urgency, NASUWT General Secretary Matt Wrack said: “Every year that passes without a more ambitious programme increases the risks and prolongs uncertainty for the workforce and school communities. A long-term, properly funded plan for phased asbestos removal and rebuilding is essential…” See: Estates strategy leaves pupils and staff in aging, asbestos-ridden buildings.

Following a Dutch media investigation into the prevalence of asbestos in play sand products sold in the Netherlands, Belgium’s Federal Public Service Economy announced it would launch an official government enquiry into retail and online sales of colored, kinetic, magnetic or craft sand in Belgium. Samples of suspect products were submitted to specialized laboratories for testing. As these products are classified as toys, they are subject to strict safety regulations which stipulate that manufacturers are responsible for marketing products that comply with regulatory guidelines. See: Controles op de mogelijke aanwezigheid van asbest in speelzand [Checks for the possible presence of asbestos in play sand].

The well-known phrase in the article title is attributed to the 19th century British statesman William Gladstone. These words have been ringing in my ears since February 11, 2026 when I heard the latest news in the long-running battle for justice by Italian asbestos victims. Although the Swiss asbestos billionaire Stephan Schmidheiny was found guilty for the asbestos deaths of hundreds of Italians by lower and appeal courts, in 2014 & 2025 the Supreme Court quashed the convictions on technical grounds. This month, a 2025 guilty verdict was sent back to Turin with an order to have the 600+ page judgment translated into German, the defendant’s mother tongue. According to campaigner Nicola Pondrano, who is still reeling from this decision: “The sense of injustice and the bitterness felt by the whole community is immense.” [Read full article]

The existence of abandoned mining towns is a reality in many parts of the world where hordes of adventurers had once sought riches from wealth-giving gold, silver and other minerals. Two such communities, built on asbestos hopes and fueled by asbestos profits, were Cassiar, Canada and Wittenoom, Australia. Once the seams of asbestos no longer proved viable, the towns built around them were redundant. Comparing the histories of Cassiar and Wittenoom revealed both similarities and differences in the lived experiences of workers and their families as well as the deadly consequences of the time spent in the toxic towns. [Read full article]

In December 2025, Dr Helen Clayson had the opportunity to visit the Archives and Special Collections department in the Andersonian Library, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow to peruse some of the material in its asbestos archives. With the help of assistant archivist Rachael Jones, Dr Clayson examined historical documents, industry reports and revealing photographs. This material, she reported, helps “us to understand how a major public health issue took so long to come to attention and for victims to be recognised, supported and financially compensated.” [Read full article]

The Saturday, January 24, 2026 issue of The Guardian newspaper ran a story entitled Asbestos found in children’s play sand sold in UK, which confirmed that asbestos-contaminated colored sand had been sold in the UK by the nationwide chain Hobbycraft. The company withdrew the product from its shelves but did not recall it, saying that there had been no government warning. A Westminster spokesperson criticized Hobbycraft’s half measures, saying “there’s no good reason why Hobbycraft shouldn’t recall this themselves, given the evidence;” whilst the Department for Business and Trade resorted to its standard rhetoric defending the country’s “robust product safety laws” and “strict criteria.” You couldn’t make it up! [Read full article]

An exposé screened by Italy’s public broadcaster RAI on Sunday January 4, 2026 refocused national attention on a scandal which had been festering for decades: the failure of the Italian authorities to hold to account people responsible for a national epidemic of avoidable ill-health and premature deaths. While there is no proof that the offers made by international powerbrokers revealed on the program were either realized or responsible for the Supreme Court’s contentious decision in 2014 to overturn Stephan Schmidheiny’s convictions over asbestos deaths caused by his Italian operations, the public most definitely has a right to know why the Court took that action. With another Supreme Court asbestos decision on the horizon, clarity from the Court is a matter of some urgency. [Read full article]

At the end of last year Azerbaijan, a former Soviet Republic, announced plans to outlaw the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. This follows national bans in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine. Pro-asbestos propaganda spread by Russian and Kazakh producers – responsible for ~70% of global asbestos output – has clearly lost the dominance it once had over the regional asbestos discourse. According to Azerbaijani ecologist Rovshan Abbasov: “The history of asbestos bans in developed countries begins with the discovery of a direct link between this mineral and the development of severe lung diseases, including cancer. Medical studies have irrefutably proven the carcinogenicity of asbestos fibres when inhaled.” [Read full article]

December is traditionally the time of year to review the accomplishments, triumphs and low points of the last twelve months. Throughout the year, initiatives to identify the asbestos-injured, build medical capacity, implement awareness campaigns, lobby decision-makers and expose asbestos injustices were implemented in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, Latin & North America. There can be no doubt that the problems asbestos poses to humanity and the environment are now an integral part of discussions about human rights, environmental justice, ecodiversity and sustainability. Despite progress made in 2025, much remains to be done. We look forward to working with you all in 2026. In the meantime, please accept greetings of solidarity and friendship and our very best wishes for a happy and healthy new year! [Read full article]

One week before Christmas, the UK government issued a blanket denial about the sale of imported asbestos-contaminated toys in response to three questions asked by Labour MP Ian Lavery: “There is no evidence these products are available on the UK market.” They are wrong and the proof was readily available if anyone had bothered to look. Our online research identified at least two of the products recalled in Australia over asbestos fears which had been listed on Amazon UK: Educational Colours Rainbow Sand and Galt Sand Stickers. It seems obvious that given the choice parents and grandparents would prefer to err on the side of caution and choose a gift that did not contain a toxic substance. Shouldn’t someone, somewhere be sounding the alarm? [Read full article]

The long-term committed efforts of grassroots ban asbestos campaigners in Indonesia have transformed the national dialogue from one accepting asbestos industry rhetoric about the “safe use” of asbestos – a Group 1 carcinogen – to one calling for interim health protections prior to an eventual ban on all use. This progress did not go unnoticed by asbestos vested interests; in retaliation, the industry implemented strategies to quash the activities of campaigning groups and lock the Indonesian government into treaties obligating it to maintain the status quo under which the import, use and sale of asbestos-containing goods remains legal. [Read full article]

At the culmination of the December 9-10, 2025, 3rd Regional Asbestos Conference held by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) – Asia Pacific Region that took place in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia, the delegates adopted a Conference Statement pledging their commitment “to eliminate the use of all forms of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in our countries and globally…” Specific measures were delineated for future action by trade unionists on the regional hazard posed by continuing asbestos use and strategies discussed for outreach work with the ADB, the ILO, the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, ASEAN & SAARC. [Read full article]

An October 30, 2025 verdict handed down by India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT), the country’s designated court for environmental matters, contained significant findings regarding the continued use of asbestos in the country’s schools. The Court confirmed that: the deterioration of asbestos-containing building material posed a serious human health hazard; there is no safe limit of exposure to asbestos; claims by manufacturers that asbestos fibers were “firmly locked” into roofing sheets were incorrect. The Government was given six months to respond to these findings. It is noteworthy that India, the world’s largest asbestos-importing country, used an average of 438,000 tonnes of asbestos a year between 2021 and 2023. [Read full article]

As Australians were struggling with multiple asbestos scandals, issuing product recalls and demanding better enforcement by federal agencies in recent weeks, in Washington, D.C. the authorities seemed to be adopting a surprisingly laissez-faire position. In October, part of the White House was precipitously demolished to make way for a new ballroom; this was followed in November with an announcement that plans to impose stricter testing protocols for asbestos fibers in talc products had been withdrawn. US politicians and campaigners were shocked by the seeming deviation from best practice whilst a Russian commentator found much to his liking in the moves being taken by the Trump administration which he alleged was trying “to end the witch hunt” related to asbestos. [Read full article]

Groups representing asbestos victims, trade unionists, medical personnel and concerned citizens from Europe, Asia and Australia released a press release on December 9, 2025 congratulating the Brazilian Association of the Asbestos-Exposed (ABREA) on its 30th anniversary. Commenting on this auspicious event, Sugio Furuya of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN) noted that: “ABREA stands as a symbol throughout Asia of solidarity and fellowship. Its sustained efforts to ban asbestos exports to Asia has saved and will save many lives as we work towards an asbestos-free future for all!” Acknowledging our collective debt to ABREA, IBAS Coordinator Laurie Kazan-Allen added: “ABREA gave a face to a worldwide human disaster” (Clique aqui para ler a versão em português). [Read full article]

For decades, the human costs of the asbestos industry’s profits were paid for by workers, family members, local people and communities that had been exposed to carcinogenic fibers liberated by mining, transporting and manufacturing processes. The failure of international agencies to take timely action on the asbestos hazard was due, in some part, to their woeful underestimation of global asbestos mortality. Finally, in 2017 a paper was published which suggested that cumulative annual global asbestos mortality far exceeded previous estimates and could surpass 300,000. The lead author of the 2017 paper was Professor Jukka Takala; details of a presentation he gave last month are recounted in this article including his insightful statement: “Cancer is a disease – Occupational cancer is an administrative decision.” [Read full article]

In the last fortnight a huge furore has been building over news that asbestos contamination had been found in children’s play sand exported from China to Australia and New Zealand. Shortly after the news about the deadly sand broke in Australia, it was reported that asbestos had been found in lift brake pads used across the country by the Chinese-owned energy company Goldwind Australia. In recent years, asbestos alerts for contaminated Chinese exports were issued in multiple countries. Scientific experts have called on the Chinese Government to prohibit the use of all asbestos-containing material. Should the authorities choose to heed their advice it would not only save countless lives at home but would reassure potential importers that products made in China need not carry cancer warning labels. [Read full article]

In less than a week, news that asbestos had been found in colored sand products being used by pre-school and primary school children in Australia reverberated around the world. This was Australia’s second public health asbestos crisis in two years and the media coverage this time round was even more incendiary than it had been in 2024. On November 12, 2025 authorities in Australia and New Zealand confirmed that precautionary measures would be taken following the announcement by the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission that several sand-based products “may contain tremolite asbestos.” A preliminary UK investigation found that one of the products recalled in Australia, currently listed as “unavailable,” had been sold on Amazon UK. [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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