Asbestos News

A new hospital being constructed in Canada will reportedly contain no asbestos in its drainage pipes.

The Montreal Gazette reports that construction firm Pomerleau-Verreault opted to use more expensive cast iron drainage pipes rather than asbestos-containing cement when building the research center for the Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM).

"There will be no asbestos anywhere in the research center," CHUM spokeswoman Lucie Dufresne told the news provider.

Asbestos was once common in construction due to its utility as an insulator and flame resistant properties. Despite these uses, the substance has not been used widely in most developed countries as it has been proven since the mid-1960s that exposure to the naturally occurring mineral can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare and deadly cancer.

Despite these risks, Quebec - which has largely supported the asbestos industry in recent years - allows for the use of non-friable asbestos under its Safety Code of Construction, reports the news provider.

Canada as a whole has struggled with the asbestos issue in recent years, with many politicians trying to help revive flagging mines. However, many residents and the international health community have decried such efforts due to the well-established health risks.