Asbestos News

Parents have been warned that asbestos was discovered in its "most dangerous state" at a demolition site in Belfast, Ireland, that's less than 100 yards away from a primary school, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

The Belfast City Council issued the warning last week detailing the potential public health hazards posed by the dangerous mineral. Parents were urged to keep their children away from the demolition site, which is near the Donegall Road Primary School.

Some parents, including Michelle McDowell, who has three children who attend the school, told the news provider that her previous complaints had fallen on deaf ears.

"This site should have been secured properly a long time ago," McDowell said. "I have complained many times to the council about the dangers on this site, this problem has been going on for three years. Last summer the kids kept starting fires in the site, it was so easy for them to access."

Asbestos exposure can cause a range of serious illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer that occurs in the tissues surrounding a majority of the body's internal organs.