Ban on Asbestos in the United States | 26 Mar 2024
The Environmental Protection Agency of the United States recently announced a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year.
- Asbestos, which was once common in home insulation and other products, is banned in more than 50 countries, and its use in the US has been declining for decades.
- The only form of asbestos known to be currently imported, processed or distributed for use in the US is chrysotile asbestos, which is imported primarily from Brazil and Russia.
- The substance is used to manufacture chlorine bleach and sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda, including some that are used for water purification.
- Exposure to asbestos poses severe health risks, including lung cancer, asbestosis (lung scarring), mesothelioma (a rare aggressive cancer), and pleural complications like thickening and fluid buildup.
- India banned the mining of asbestos in 2011, but it still imports and uses asbestos in products like insulation, roofing sheets, and brake linings.
