Why asbestos still remains a global hazard | DW News

Asbestos is banned in around 70 countries in the world. But some continue to use the toxic fibers. With fatal consequences. But how dangerous is asbestos really? Where are people most in danger? And how could its use be stopped? 

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[bascomnextion]

The sad thing is everybody in countries like Australia who have banned it and people seem to fear it as if its like a poisonous gas coming to get them yet have not been told of the other dangers like silicon dust ie cutting and grinding stone, concrete and the like that can give you silicosis (for example)which now many are suffering with. Education of the dangers of other commonly encountered materials should also be done.

[TOGAB]

I'm a retired senior level Environmental Project Manager having worked the US and West Africa. I performed dozens of industrial facility decontaminations and decommissioning, such as smelters, power plants, battery facilities, etc. Asbestos was just one of the thousands of waste streams I had to deal with, and it was my LEAST favorite. I'd rather clean up 2 lead smelters than I had asbestos, and many times I had both. While it's true the concrete dust and demolition dust I breathed over my career was not healthy, as many have alluded to in the comments, asbestos' effects are FAR more insidious after exposure than many "particulate" non-"toxic" inhalants. If I breath in lime or concrete dust, hopefully my mucus system will encapsulate and expel it. Asbestos is like thousands of tiny crystalline harpoons piercing through lung tissue, but unlike dust, it's there for good like accumulative heavy metal poisoning. Asbestos and PCB's both began to be regulated about the same time in the US. I thought all of the developing countries, especially Germany, would have put this to bed decades ago.

[bryantimmins]

My dad died of mesothelioma 35 years after he was exposed to asbestos dust at work. His office was next door to a big plant room where they were removing lagging. He reckoned it was dusty for about two weeks. That tiny period left him with a time bomb he didn’t even suspect put him at risk. He got suddenly breathless despite being really fit otherwise and the X-ray showed he had fluid from the cancer crushing one lung. He didn’t last 3 months. Terrible disease .

[khyrodon]

My uncle died from asbestos caused cancer. My cousin said two of his friends from work also died the same way, and a third has it. Such a shame.

[mdabdulquader]

I am a captain on board a merchant ship. In shipping, all ship must have a asbestos test & asbestos free certificate to trade.

[TheLordOfNothing]

My house, which was built in the 60's, has needed asbestos removal 4 times, plus we've discovered it several times. We discovered it in the walls in 2006, then the pipes in 2007, then when we redid the kitchen in 2015, it was in the oven insulation, and also in 2015, we redid the master bathroom and there was asbestos tiles.

[ViswanathanMahalingam]

Until today I did not know we imported almost tonnes of it!

But I don't see its use in roofing and insulation works around me at least off-late. A short online check revealed that the nation has banned mining/preparation of asbestos fibers but has not blocked import and use in industry yet.

[scotsmanofnewengland]

There is an old asbestos mine in the Eden/Lowell, Vermont that still pollutes the land from the piles of tailings from the asbestos mining.

[borystsolin]

When I was a kid, we used to throw this asbestos roofing into fire, it explodes when heated enough. Was fun.

[JonCrocker]

I'm amazed that "Kazakhstan #2 producer of asbestos!" wasn't a lyric to the anthem in the Borat movie.

[miroslawkowalski]

I'm honestly shocked. I was certain there was general agreement among all the countries to ban asbestos, just like world get rid of CFCs products.

[anacc]

Can't say im surprised that Russia is the top producer who also lobbies internationally to keep selling it

[davidjohn]

Good video, i wonder how we can recognise signs of asbestos?

[trowawayacc]

Look asbestus is noe mixed with concrete to make plycem. The name changed but the product remains.

[hitardo]

I really feel sorry for anyone that uncovers this illness, due to its employer ignoring this recommendation.
Especially when many Public building used it.
And if you think you were free from it, think how many times have you been in:
- Schools;
- Hospital;
- Court.

[AjrAlves]

Asbestos was fully banned in Brazil in 2017.
In 2022 it was permitted again but only for exports and niche uses.
In 2023 it was fully banned again, hopefully for good this time.

[sandro-nigris]

Great video, very informative. I have relatives died for this...

[Not_Thebadguy]

My school has older buildings, when they were removing one of the buildings in place of a new one, I saw several asbestos removal ads on the construction site's fences.

I'm now convinced that most of my school, which was built over the course of a hundred years, has asbestos on most of the rooftops.

Seeing as the building in question was in active use, it's slightly concerning.

[alicomando]

Wizard of oz movie 1939
Used it as snowing

[terranaxiomuk]

Nothing i like more than racking up a G line of Asbestos.