Ban or regulate asbestos

It is indeed a good piece of news that the government, of late, is planning to draft a policy on import and use of asbestos in the country, particularly in the manufacturing sector as the article is linked to various deadly health conditions including cancer. While there remains no policy in the country on the use of the harmful industrial material, the Department of Environment (DoE) is going to hold an inter-ministerial meeting comprising of representatives from different ministries including the commerce ministry soon to decide on this particular issue. It has sent letters to ministries and divisions concerned.

Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals made up of thin and microscopic fibres. Asbestos offers heat and chemical resistance, fireproofing and strength. As a result, asbestos is a popular additive to a variety of products. As stated earlier, individuals exposed to asbestos face health risks including cancer and other major ailments.

Considering the deadly impact of asbestos, as many as 60 countries in the world have so far banned the use of the harmful industrial material. The countries include all 28 European countries, Australia, Egypt, Brunei, Bahrain, Canada, Chile and Brazil. Among South Asian countries, Nepal banned asbestos in 2015.

There are six types of asbestos – actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite and tremolite. Among those, chrysotile makes up for 90 per cent of the global use and is used heavily by cement sheet manufacturers in Bangladesh.

reflecting the concern about asbestos being a carcinogen, the DoE letter said, “According to the WHO, asbestos has no acceptable limit for human exposure. A single fibre of asbestos can cause cancer in the human body.”

“The WHO recommends halting the use of all types of asbestos – including chrysotile – to help curb cancers caused by this substance.”

Despite the severe health hazard posed by this toxic material, six companies in the country imported a staggering 24,019 tonnes of asbestos in the Fiscal Year 2018-19, according to a report published by this daily on Wednesday.

In 1998, Bangladesh imported only 1,010 tonnes, but then logged a two-fold rise in 2010. The figure jumped to 12,100 tons in 2014, adds the report.

According to a 2017 WHO report, the aggregate annual asbestos production and consumption across the globe went down from 4.8 million tonnes in 1980 to two million tonnes in 2013. But Bangladesh is now moving in the opposite direction.

A 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) report on chrysotile asbestos says the substance is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as being carcinogenic to humans.

Exposure to chrysotile, amosite and anthophyllite and to the mixtures containing crocidolite results in an increased risk of lung cancer and other serious health complications, which kills around 107,000 people across the world annually.

Given the fact that asbestos poses serious health hazards, it is time the commerce ministry which regulate import and is the primary agency for formulating import policy, orders halting the import of the material. The existing import policy contains a list of prohibited items, and items requiring permission which is called ‘conditional import’. Import of items like cash, alcohol, dangerous goods, sexually explicit material, firearms and precious metals are banned in the existing import policy. Asbestos should be added to the list of prohibited products.

According to the WHO, the annual global healthcare costs associated with the health effects of asbestos are estimated to be $2.4 billion. According to the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, many countries are using asbestos alternatives considering the health hazards posed by this substance.

They suggested using synthetic fibres such as polyvinyl alcohol and polypropylene, and vegetable or cellulose-based fibres such as bamboo, sisal, coir, rattan shavings and tobacco stalks.

We want our manufacturing sector to thrive and at the same time maintain strictest health guidelines. Compromising human health, no growth is actually considered business growth. We urge our businesses that have been using asbestos taking advantage of the policy lacuna to refrain from using the harmful substance.

Now is the time to act by the government, particularly the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.