I get endless emails about ASBESTOS in INDONESIA
So I thought I would paste up one of my responses here:
Tim
The WHO and the ILO are very very clear, that in line with scientific evidence; there is no known safe minimum exposure level to any form of asbestos, crocidolite (serpentine or blue), chrysotile (white) or amosite (brown).
The falsified discussion around chrysotile asbestos has been initiated by shonky research undertaken by the Canadian Industry funded chrysotile research institute. The institute has little or no scientific legitimacy and their publications have been consistently ridiculed in all respected journals.
Asbestos has three distinct health impacts.
1) General Lung cancer
Asbestos in your lungs greatly increases your probability of contracting lung cancer. As yet no one has documented the exact linkage, hence the dodgey asbestos industry will argue that without a known documented causal effect, it cant be proved that it is asbestos that causes this.
In reality the epidemiological evidence of a high increase in risk is clear and unquestionable. Again nobody has been able to determine a safe minimum exposure level, as one single fibre is sufficient to induce cancer. Rather practicable minimum filtration levels have been agreed upon to allow its removal with a minimal death rate.
2) Asbestosis
This fatal disease is a result of the build up of scar tissue in the lungs from being endlessly cut by microscopic shards of asbestos that the body has difficulty coughing out. The chrysotile asbestos lobby industry argues that chrysotile asbestos is less angular in form and that as such experiments show that it is less effective at cutting the lung surface making it safer than other forms.
This argument remains completely spurious, its like saying a small bullet is less deadly than a large bullet. Again the epidemiological evidence of deaths from Asbestosis caused by chrysotile asbestos is clear and irrefutable. It continues to kill people, and again there is no clear evidence on any form of safe minimum exposure level to prevent this form of death. It is clear that the bulk of victims of Asbestos worked in high exposure areas, cleaning break drums, cutting roofing, or working in mines or factories.
3) Mesothelioma
This is a particularly nasty, slow acting forming version of cancer caused specifically from of Asbestos. Most cases are caused by inhalation, though it can also be caused through ingestion and skin penetration. All form of asbestos are known to produce this form of cancer, with known or scientifically documented difference between crystalline forms.
Asbestos In Indonesia
Indonesia imported over 100,000 tonnes of asbestos in 2010, with 90% being used in roof and wall sheeting manufacture. Indonesia is currently the third largest imported of Asbestos in the world. Current estimates are that for approximately every 150 tonnes of Asbestos imported into a country 1 person will die. Given much high levels of smoking and much lower levels of worker protection this rate is almost certain to be much higher in Indonesia.
The Canadian government in support of jobs in the Canadian mining industry has actively promoted the sale of asbestos to Indonesia. see attached flyer. Asbestos is imported into Indonesia from Russia, Brazil, Canada along with from India and China in Asbestos containing products.
With an average of 25 to 30 years till effects show up, Asbestos is a slow and deadly killer. Asbestos imports in Indonesia started when markets in the west closed in the 1980's and big business turned their eyes to the emerging markets of Asia. This is now 30 years ago.
My sources indicate that currently the biggest imported of Chrysotile Asbestos into Indonesia is Bakrie Industries, followed by an Indonesian/Australian conglomerate in Bandung. In line with the Chrysotile Institutes propaganda, it continues to be legal to import, manufacture products and sell white asbestos in Indonesia.
The sale, use, import or export of all forms of asbestos including Chrysotile (white death) has been banned in more than 50 countries
Asbestos is and will be the next major epidemic in Indonesia. In a country where autopsy's and rarely conducted and where the government has not outlawed asbestos and therefor does not test for its resultant diseases. This silent epidemic will occur, but remain undocumented.
