Asbestos News
India minister seeks explanation from state regarding proposed asbestos plants
India's environmental minister has sought an explanation from the state of Bihar regarding its decision to allow for the creation of 12 asbestos roofing plants.According to the Hindustan Times, environment minister Jairam Ramesh has asked the state why it has given its permission to developers to build the plants that create products that contain the carcinogenic material.
Asbestos has been banned in more than 50 countries around the world but is still used in some countries as an insulator and flame retardant.
Health experts in India are aware of the risks associated with the naturally occurring mineral.
"Asbestos is a highly hazardous material to human health and both - occupational as well as non-occupational exposures - are associated with mesothelioma and other malignancies among humans," Sanjay Chaturvedi, head of Department of Community Medicine at the Delhi University, told the news source.
In addition to malignant mesothelioma, asbestos exposure can cause asbestosis and lung cancer.
According to the World Health Organization, asbestos-related illnesses claim the lives of about 107,000 people each year around the world.
1/19/11
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