Posted By Dr. D. D. Radadiya
Hi!

I read one article on Compressed Asbestos sheets for roofs in a leading news paper “The Gulf News” mentions that India has recently allowed manufacturing and use of Asbestos Cement Sheets for roofing of buildings.

I am interested in your feed back about current situation for manufacturing and use of Asbestos cement sheets for building roofs in developed countries such as USA, UK and Europe. What is expected trend for use of Compressed Asbestos sheets?

In my opinion so long the non-harmful (except Blue and Broun)type of Asbestos cement is compressed and used wherein there is no chance of getting into respiratory system then its use should be allowed as it's a cost effective solution for building / warehouse roofs.

Your feedback will be highly appreciated.

Dhiraj
www.dhiraj.org

Posted By steven bentham
Although the manufacture & importation is prohibited, white does present low risk. My argument against would be the problems with maintenance workers and roofers falling through the sheets, plenty of deaths caused by falling through fragile materials.

As for the low risk/no risk debate, how do you ever cross the road. There are never any 'no risks' to crossing the road.

Posted By Frank Hallett
Good morning Dhiraj and everyone else.

This is not a question that can be answered with simple responses that identify what richer, more stable economies are doing about asbestos as this is a fundamental question that really does cut to the heart of the truly pragmatic application of "reasonably practicable" on a national basis.

The principles to be considered are no different to those that accept that the environmental pollution currently created by some eastern european states [and of course China] is, given their current economic position, not only inevitable but internationally acceptable provided that an achievable plan for improvement exists and is progressed.

India is an extremely rapidly growing economy with many major social and industrial challenges that are growing equally quickly - not least the need to provide suitable domestic and industrial structures that are reasonably durable, economic and have a fairly consistantly identifiable life.

The problem here is to balance the very real needs of that explosively growing economy against the considerations of exposure to a particular type of asbestos and its subsequent disposal. The modern manufacturing techniques available [including encapsulation]; whilst never able to completely remove the exposure risk, can limit that risk to an acceptable level for that society in that period of change.

The real challenges will inevitably be in relation to the ultimate disposal - an extremely robust collection and disposal system will be required; [can this be achieved?]; - and of course, how to minimise exposures during the public life of the material as there will inevitably be uncountable occassions where people will modify the standard panel to suit their particular needs thus releasing fibres into their immediate environment.

Ultimately, this can only be a political decision for the Indian Govt based upon issues such as I have outlined - an unenviable task.

Frank Hallett

Posted By Dr. D. D. Radadiya
Dear Mr. Jonathan Docherty,

Thanks for your critiques. Gentleman I am a person not ashamed to ask even a silly question. Person is fool who do not ask question and do not clarify the matter. Once he clarify the matter he is wise forever. This is what I believe.

You may be expert in Asbestos and might have worked with Asbestos Industry which I will regard.

For your information I was one of the persons to initiate ban on Asbestos in India. Also in GCC countries I have removed use of Asbestos even from gasket materials too. This is not question here. The question is there is always various level of risk with different type of asbestos. Let me inform you that many persons having more credential than me are working in concerned ministry of India who has taken opinions of various experts and environmental NGOs on taking the decision to go ahead for asbestos cement sheet manufacturing and use for roofs in world’s largest democratic country. It is their perception of hazard and acceptance of risk level. Also, history shows that some of the materials found toxic have been found not toxic after extensive research. This may be case with the specific type of Asbestos. That’s why I have open mindedly asked opinion of the professionals.

Also, please see the positive response of many respected members posted on the chat forum.

Please let me know if you have any evidence of very high risk in using Treated Compressed Asbestos Cement Sheets proving its effect as carcinogenic material then I will present it to the concern authorities in India.

Regards.

Posted By John Murgatroyd
In my humble opinion, the experts, government officials and all the committees who consider asbestos safe to use have one thing in common: they won't be the ones using it and dying from exposure to it.
The asbestos industry kinda reminds me of the tobacco industry....same denial, same end results.

Posted By Adrian Watson
Dear All,

Let's kill some myths and seperate fact from fiction; asbestos has saved more lifes than it has taken!

Chrysotile, white asbestos, is not the same chemically or physically as the amphiboles. The amphiboles are known to cause mesothelioma; the evidence for chysotile is equivical. There are doubts as to whether chrysotile can cause mesothelioma or whether the mesothelioma is caused by trace contamination by amphiboles. Not all sources of chrysotile contain amphiboles. Most canadian sources do not.

If you disregard mesothelioma for the moment; there is a safe level for all other health effects caused by chrysotile. This is the level above which it causes fibrosis ~ 25-30 fibre years. For clarity, I am not saying that the fibrosis causes lung cancer, but that the underlying process does. As I stated earlier, whether or not chrysotile asbestos causes mesothelioma is open to debate. In this country it is an impossible question to answer, as nobody has only ever been exposed to chrysotile.

The fact that sheets of asbestos cement sheets shed the odd fibre suprises no one, but to what affect? We all exposed to asbestos fibres day-in, day-out. If you are stating that one fibre kills, please read Casseret & Daull's Toxicology - The basic science of poisons, or HSE's Fibre Toxicity, to dispell this out-dated theory or carcinogenisis. The simple linear extrapolation from high to low levels, assume that all exposures above the origin carry some degree of risk. This does not take account of the normal biological processes designed to deal with cell mutation.

In developing nations asbestos cement sheeting could provide a safe, cheap building material that is fire resistant, provided of course that it can be manufactured in a safe manner.

Regards Adrian Watson.

PS I don't have horns, worship the devil and I am not and never have been employed by the asbestos industry.