Asbestos Decision Delayed Until 2008
Article Added November 4th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story
The decision to vote on adding a type of asbestos to the list of hazardous substances has been delayed until a UN meeting in 2008. The vote of 110 countries on Friday resulted in the delay.
The UN meeting on October 13th this year resulted in many decisions, but the status of chrysotile asbestos was not one of the judgments. The material, considered harmful by many industry officials, was on the ballot for voting as to whether or not the material should be added to the construction industry hazardous substance list. The list would create import and export issues, as well as causing the handling of the material to be regulated.
Chrysotile asbestos is most often used in cement mixes, and accounts for 94% of all new asbestos use in the world. Countries like Canada and Russia, big exporting nations of the material, pointed out that the material is not as unstable as white asbestos, often used in insulation materials. Supporters of the listing cite data that more than 90,000 people each year develop respiratory diseases as a result of chrysotile asbestos. Conditions such as asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, can be tied to chrysotile.
Article Added November 4th, 2006 - Print This Story - Bookmark This Story
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