Asbestos Legislation
Asbestos ban in Turkey takes effect
The country of Turkey has banned the production, use and supply of asbestos, according to Turkey's Environment Management Directorate General.According to Today's Zaman, asbestos was partially banned some time ago, but the total ban is needed in order to fully abide by European Union (EU) regulations.
"The ban on use of asbestos will both eliminate diseases stemming from the substance and end emission of asbestos to the environment," said a statement from the Directorate General.
Asbestos was originally prized as a building material by the ancient Greeks and Romans due to its resistance to fire and use as an insulator. The use of the material increased tremendously during the 19th century, but by the mid-1960s it became known that exposure to asbestos could cause asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in the tissues surrounding many of the body's internal organs.
According to the World Health Organization, such asbestos-related diseases kill approximately 107,000 people around the world each year.
1/3/11
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