WHO to shift position on white asbestos?
Published on Sun 5 Aug 2007
In May the World Health Organisation (WHO) appeared to be considering a change to its stance on the status of Chrysotile, white asbestos used in asbestos-cement and similar products.
White asbestos is currently on a list of carcinogenic materials, a listing that resulted in an EU wide ban on its use. It seems that the WHO may leave the decision on whether to allow the use of white asbestos up to national agencies. The likely result is that developing economies will continue to use chrysotile.
This information has been seized upon by asbestos producers as a triumph but the news did not come in time for LAB Chrysotile, one of Canada's largest asbestos producers. The company filed for bankruptcy at the end of July.
The International Ban Asbestos Secretariat have recently produced a publication titled: Killing the Future (Asbestos Use in Asia). The report examines the use of asbestos in Asia and contains detailed information on asbestos issues in a number of countries. It also looks at the post disaster effects of events like the 2004 Tsunami on asbestos materials.
The report can be downloaded in PDF format from: http://www.lkaz.demon.co.uk/ktf_web_fin.pdf
