Search Results (17)

Although asbestos has been banned in the European Union since 2005, asbestos-containing materials, such as brake pads and clutch linings, may still occur in waste streams due to the long service life of vehicles, legacy equipment, and international trade in spare parts. The persistence of these materials raises environmental and occupational health concerns, particularly in waste management systems. This study aims to assess the presence, temporal trends, and sectoral distribution of asbestos-containing friction materials in the Hungarian waste management system two decades after the EU ban, and to evaluate the associated regulatory and occupational risk implications. The analysis is based on national hazardous waste datasets classified under EWC code 16 01 11* (asbestos-containing brake pads), with a specific focus on this waste category rather than on the full range of asbestos-related waste streams recorded in the national database. The results indicate that asbestos-containing friction materials are still present in the waste stream, with measurable quantities recorded annually. Despite regulatory control, identification challenges and potential misclassification may contribute to underreporting. The continued occurrence of asbestos-containing materials highlights the persistence of legacy hazardous materials within circular economy systems. Strengthened monitoring, improved identification protocols, and enhanced occupational safety measures are necessary to mitigate residual exposure risks. The findings underline that asbestos is not merely a historical issue but remains a contemporary environmental and public health challenge. Full article

Urban environments in developing countries remain affected by legacy asbestos-containing materials, yet integrated assessments of multi-pathway asbestos release and environmental mobilization integrated with demographic distribution remain limited. This study aimed to develop a spatially explicit framework to assess environmental deterioration and asbestos-related environmental hazard where multiple asbestos release pathways converge in a post-ban urban setting, using Cartagena, Colombia, as a case study. A multi-pathway approach was implemented, combining source characterization of asbestos-cement (AC) roofs through microvacuum sampling, analysis of roof runoff and drinking water, spatial distribution of AC pipelines, and demographic data at the neighborhood scale. A total of 72 roof surface samples were collected, of which 92% showed detectable asbestos fibers, with concentrations reaching up to 326 × 10⁶ structures/cm². Runoff water analysis indicated 85% detection, with average concentrations of 3.5 ± 3.14 million fibers per liter (MFL). Drinking water samples showed 11% positivity, with lower concentrations (mean 1.01 ± 1.59 MFL). Spatial analysis revealed that approximately 9.5% of the urban area exhibited high airborne release potential and 3.1% exhibited high runoff-related hazard, while integrated spatial prioritization identified 5.59% of the city as high priority for intervention. Results indicated that less deteriorated roofs exhibited higher surface fiber availability, suggesting that emission potential is not directly proportional to visible degradation. The integration of environmental and demographic data supported the identification of critical hotspots where multiple asbestos release pathways converge. The proposed methodology provides a novel framework for multi-pathway asbestos spatial prioritization in urban environments and highlights the need for source-based monitoring approaches. These findings support the development of targeted mitigation strategies in cities with widespread legacy asbestos infrastructure. Full article

Municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are seldom regarded as potential sources of airborne mineral fibres, notwithstanding the possible presence of legacy asbestos-containing materials within mixed waste streams. Prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres is well established as causally associated with severe adverse health outcomes, prompting stringent regulatory measures across the European Union, most recently reinforced by Directive (EU) 2023/2668 amending Directive 2009/148/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to asbestos exposure. This study presents systematic annual monitoring of airborne mineral fibres (MinFib), including asbestos fibres (AsbFib), conducted between 2019 and 2025 at an MSW landfill in the Czech Republic. Personal air sampling targeted heavy equipment operators as the most exposed occupational group and was conducted in accordance with established occupational hygiene principles. Fibre identification and quantification were carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX) according to accredited laboratory internal standard operating procedures (SOPs). Across all monitoring campaigns, asbestos fibre concentrations remained below the analytical detection limits, including during handling of asbestos-containing materials. However, the analytical sensitivity appears to be within the range relevant to the current EU occupational exposure limit (0.01 fibres/cm³), potentially limiting the ability to identify very low-level exposures. These findings indicate that occupational exposure under routine operational conditions was below analytical detection limits, suggesting a low exposure potential. However, non-detectable results should be interpreted as method-limited rather than as indicating that exposure did not occur. Continued monitoring using more sensitive analytical approaches is therefore warranted. Full article

Asbestos tailings represent a historical liability in many countries. Canada aims at transforming this industrial legacy into an opportunity to both mitigate the environmental footprint and recover critical (such as magnesium, nickel, chromium, and cobalt) and strategic metals, which represent significant economic development potential. This study aimed to investigate the recovery of critical and strategic metals (CSMs) from asbestos tailings using hydrochloric (HCl) acid leaching, with acid concentration (2–12 mol/L), leaching temperature (20–90 °C), and solid–liquid ratio (10–40%) as key process parameters. The tailing samples studied is composed mostly of chrysotile and lizardite. It contains about 40% magnesium (as its oxide MgO) and nickel and chromium showing contents 52 and 60 times higher than their respective average crustal abundances (Clarke values). Iron content is 8.7% (expressed as its ferric oxide Fe₂O₃). To optimize key factors influencing the leaching process, a statistical experimental design was employed. The designed leaching experiments were subsequently performed, and results were used to define leaching conditions aiming at maximizing Mg and Ni recoveries while minimizing iron contamination using response surface methodology (RSM) based on the central composite design (CCD). A quadratic polynomial model was developed to describe the relationship between the process parameters and metal recoveries. Among the tested effects of acid concentration, temperature, and pulp density on magnesium recovery, the modeling indicated that both hydrochloric acid concentration and leaching temperature significantly enhanced metal recovery, whereas increasing pulp density had a negative effect at low temperature. The empirical mathematical model derived from the experimental data, accounting for the uncertainties on chemical data, indicated that high magnesium recovery was achieved at 90 °C, with 10–12 N hydrochloric acid and a solid-to-liquid ratio of 33.6–40%. These findings reveal the potential for the recovery of critical and strategic metals, both in terms of efficiency and economic viability. Full article

Asbestos, consisting of six natural mineral fibrous silicate phases, was widely utilized in industrial development during the 20th century and has left a global legacy of health, environmental, and regulatory challenges. Its remarkable properties (e.g., heat resistance, sound absorption, and tensile strength) made it a useful material in numerous applications. However, scientific research revealed its serious health risks in the early 1900s, with growing evidence during the 1960s, and nowadays its role in the development of different diseases (e.g., respiratory diseases, such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis) is well defined. Mapping this complex history requires integrating heterogeneous and often inconsistent information from nearly 200 countries. In this study, we tested the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools as exploratory and comparative instruments to support the collection of asbestos-related data worldwide. Using Google Gemini (version 2.5 flash) and OpenAI ChatGPT (GPT-4-turbo variant), we gathered historical, medical, and regulatory information and then systematically verified and contextualized it with expert analysis. This dual approach allowed us to assess both the global asbestos situation and the reliability, advantages, and limitations of AI-assisted research. Our results highlight how AI can accelerate data collection and provide useful first drafts while underscoring the necessity of human expertise for validation, interpretation, and critical integration. This study, therefore, contributes a dual perspective: a comprehensive overview of the asbestos legacy across countries and a methodological reflection on the opportunities and pitfalls of employing AI in geoscientific and environmental research. Full article

Although asbestos use has been banned in many countries, including South Korea, the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases remains a serious public health concern. We conducted a nationwide, registry-based retrospective study to estimate the latency period of asbestosis and identify its determinants. We analyzed exposure history and demographics for 1110 asbestosis cases collected by the Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Health Center for Asbestos in Korea between 2009 and 2021. Mean latency was 45.3 years for asbestosis Grade 1 and 46.3 years for Grade 2. Patients with occupational exposure had shorter latency than those with environmental exposure: 44.4 vs. 46.0 years in Grade 1 (p = 0.010) and 45.0 vs. 47.0 years in Grade 2 (p < 0.001). Within occupations, production-type work showed the shortest latency; within environmental exposure, residence near asbestos-related industries showed the shortest latency, whereas residence near asbestos mines showed the longest. Longer exposure duration (occupational) was associated with shorter latency, and greater residential distance from the source (environmental) with longer latency. Priorities for further investigation include differences by asbestos fiber type and exposure intensity/modality, to inform strengthened occupational health monitoring and targeted surveillance for residents near industrial sources and legacy mines. Full article

The use of asbestos, once celebrated for its versatility and fire-resistant properties, has left a lasting legacy of environmental degradation and public health risks. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the environmental impacts and health risks associated with asbestos, highlighting its widespread use, environmental persistence, and adverse effects on human health. Through a literature review, this study examines the historical context of asbestos use, its adverse environmental effects and the mechanisms by which exposure to asbestos poses significant health risks, including the development of asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, etc. It also assesses the current regulatory framework and provides a methodological analysis of the strategy for recycling end-of-life materials containing asbestos fibers, proposing the inclusion of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in the rock wool industry to reduce Greenhouse Gasses (GHG) emissions. Drawing on interdisciplinary insights from environmental science, public health, and regulatory analysis, this paper concludes with recommendations for improving asbestos management strategies, promoting safer alternatives and mitigating the long-term environmental and human health impacts of asbestos. Full article

Asbestos remains ubiquitous in the Australian built environment. Of the 13 million tonnes of asbestos products installed in earlier decades, an estimated 50% remain in situ today. Because of the extensive past use of asbestos, and the increasing age of these products, the potential for exposure to asbestos fibres in both indoor and outdoor environments remains high, even while the actual asbestos exposure levels are mostly very low. Sources of these exposures include disturbance of in situ asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), for example during renovations or following disaster events such as fires, cyclones and floods. Our understanding of the risk of asbestos-related disease arising from long-term low-level or background exposure, however, is poor. We provide the most up-to-date review of asbestos exposure risks currently affecting different groups of the Australian population and the settings in which this can manifest. From this, a need for low-level asbestos monitoring has emerged, and further research is required to address whether current exposure monitoring approaches are adequate. In addition, we make the case for proactive asbestos removal to reduce the risk of ongoing asbestos contamination and exposure due to deteriorating, disturbed or damaged ACMs, while improving long-term building sustainability, as well as the sustainability of limited resources. Full article

Exposure to asbestos fibres causes asbestosis, mesothelioma and several other cancers, which together are commonly referred to as asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). The use of asbestos increased rapidly in Australia and overseas throughout the 1900s, but knowledge about the health effects of exposure and subsequent controls came about more gradually. In Australia today, an estimated 4000 people still die annually from ARDs. While most of these deaths are due to past occupational exposures, there is ongoing concern about the many potential sources of asbestos exposure remaining in homes and the broader built environment as a legacy of past use. Current evidence indicates that Australians will continue to be exposed to legacy asbestos occupationally and non-occupationally, and continue to develop ARDs, without targeted action to prevent it. Evidence of ongoing exposure highlights the importance of better understanding how and why such exposures might still occur, and how they can be effectively prevented or controlled, with the aim of preventing the disease in the future. A better characterisation of this risk is also necessary to enable effective risk management and appropriate risk communication that is relevant to the current Australian context. This article explores the past, present and future of ARDs in Australia, considers the risk of a new wave of ARDs from legacy asbestos, and identifies where further study is required so that sustainable policies and practices can be developed to prevent a future wave of diseases. Full article

Given Australia’s significant and aged asbestos legacy, the long-term sustainability of effective and accessible asbestos waste management is a national priority of Australia’s Asbestos National Strategic Plan. The current policy for managing hazardous asbestos waste is via deep burial in landfill. Technological alternatives to approved deep burial landfill methods exist and could be considered innovative and sustainable additional options for managing asbestos waste, where these are proven viable, and where appropriate policy and regulatory changes are implemented. We present a summary of alternative asbestos waste management technologies and discuss issues influencing their potential application in the Australian context. Increasing the options for asbestos waste management in Australia may additionally facilitate the safe, planned removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) from the built environment. Altogether, this will reduce the potential for exposure to asbestos fibres and work towards eliminating asbestos-related disease in Australia, therefore contributing towards achieving the overarching aim of Australia’s Asbestos National Strategic Plan. Full article

The Victorian Asbestos Eradication Agency (VAEA) was established to develop a long-term plan for the prioritised removal of asbestos containing materials (ACMs) from Victorian government-owned buildings. The safest and most sustainable way to end the lethal asbestos legacy is through prioritised, planned, and safe removal of ACMs from the built environment. In this article, we describe our consolidated asbestos register (AIRSystem); our custom risk assessment model that informs prioritised removal, and our work towards ending the lethal asbestos legacy. Full article

Information about asbestos stocks and flows is paramount for effective legacy management, both for understanding potential asbestos exposure risks from the different product types remaining in the built environment and proactive resource planning for their safe decommissioning, removal and disposal. This paper provides an overview of the Australian Stocks and Flows Model for Asbestos, a national model that provides best estimates to examine asbestos legacy stocks remaining in the built environment and flows to waste, now and into the future in Australia. The model was updated in 2021 to reflect new information from literature and input from industry experts and includes a Monte Carlo analysis to better reflect the range in the value estimates, as well as allowing for input of data from asbestos removal programs. Australia’s total asbestos stocks peaked at approximately 11 million tonnes in the 1980s. Over 95% of stocks comprise asbestos cement products, such as wall sheeting and water pipes. Australia’s current remaining asbestos stocks in the built environment are estimated at 6.2 million tonnes, with just under half of total consumption estimated to have gone to landfill as waste. The model can continue to be used with updated information to help track how much of Australia’s hazardous asbestos legacy is remaining and by how much it is reducing. The model can also be used to test scenarios and implications for predicted development trends and waste infrastructure needs. It is a valuable resource to assist with sustainable planning across a range of government departments that are responsible for managing asbestos waste in Australia. Full article

Asbestos (all forms, including chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) is carcinogenic to humans and causally associated with mesothelioma and cancer of the lung, larynx, and ovary. It is one of the carcinogens most diffuse in the world, in workplaces, but also in the environment and is responsible for a very high global cancer burden. A large number of countries, mostly with high-income economies, has banned the use of asbestos which, however, is still widespread in low- and middle-income countries. It remains, thus, one of the most common occupational and environmental carcinogens worldwide. Italy issued an asbestos ban in 1992, following the dramatic observation of a large increase in mortality from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in exposed workers and also in subjects with non-occupational exposure. A mesothelioma registry was also organized and still monitors the occurrence of mesothelioma cases, conducting a case-by-case evaluation of asbestos exposure. In this report, we describe two Italian communities, Casale Monferrato and Broni, that faced an epidemic of mesothelioma resulting from the production of asbestos cement and the diffuse environmental exposure; we present the activity and results of the Italian mesothelioma registry (ReNaM), describe the risk-communication activities at the local and national level with a focus on international cooperation and also describe the interaction between mesothelioma registration and medical services specialized in mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment in an area at high risk of mesothelioma. Finally, we assess the potential application of the solutions and methods already developed in Italy in a city in Colombia with high mesothelioma incidence associated with the production of asbestos-cement materials and the presence of diffuse environmental asbestos pollution. Full article

Asbestos mining operations have left South Africa with a legacy of asbestos contamination and asbestos-related diseases continue to be a problem. The large-scale mining of three types of asbestos presents a unique opportunity to study malignant mesothelioma of the pleura (mesothelioma) in South Africa. This study aimed to describe the demographics of deceased individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma and explore any associations between the histological morphology of mesothelioma and asbestos characteristics. We reviewed the records of all deceased miners and ex-miners from the Pathology Automation System (PATHAUT) database of the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH) that were histologically diagnosed with mesothelioma in the period from January 2006–December 2016 (11 years). The study population does not include all cases of mesothelioma in South Africa but rather those that reached the compensation system. Crocidolite asbestos fibres were identified in the majority of mesothelioma cases (n = 140; 53.4%). The epithelioid subtype was most commonly present in both occupational and environmental cases. Cases with the sarcomatous subtype were older at death and fewer female cases were diagnosed with this subtype. No relationship between mesothelioma subtype and asbestos type or asbestos burden or fibre size was established. Full article

Building roofing produced with asbestos-containing materials is a significant concern due to its detrimental health hazard implications. Efficiently locating asbestos roofing is essential to proactively mitigate and manage potential health risks from this legacy building material. Several studies utilised remote sensing imagery and machine learning-based image classification methods for mapping roofs with asbestos-containing materials. However, there has not yet been a critical review of classification methods conducted in order to provide coherent guidance on the use of different remote sensing images and classification processes. This paper critically reviews the latest works on mapping asbestos roofs to identify the challenges and discuss possible solutions for improving the mapping process. A peer review of studies addressing asbestos roof mapping published from 2012 to 2022 was conducted to synthesise and evaluate the input imagery types and classification methods. Then, the significant challenges in the mapping process were identified, and possible solutions were suggested to address the identified challenges. The results showed that hyperspectral imagery classification with traditional pixel-based classifiers caused large omission errors. Classifying very-high-resolution multispectral imagery by adopting object-based methods improved the accuracy results of ACM roof identification; however, non-optimal segmentation parameters, inadequate training data in supervised methods, and analyst subjectivity in rule-based classifications were reported as significant challenges. While only one study investigated convolutional neural networks for asbestos roof mapping, other applications of remote sensing demonstrated promising results using deep-learning-based models. This paper suggests further studies on utilising Mask R-CNN segmentation and 3D-CNN classification in the conventional approaches and developing end-to-end deep semantic classification models to map roofs with asbestos-containing materials. Full article