High Time for Complete Ban on Asbestos Use in Developing Countries

Our plain-English summary of High Time for Complete Ban on Asbestos Use in Developing Countries, by T. Chen, X.M. Sun, L. Wu (JAMA Oncology, 2019).

The study

• Authors: T. Chen, X.M. Sun, L. Wu
• Journal: JAMA Oncology
• Published: 2019;5(6):779-780
• Cited by: 38 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Summary of the article

In this viewpoint, three authors based in China, the United Kingdom and Canada argued for a complete ban on asbestos use in developing countries. They drew on discussions among Chinese delegates at the 14th meeting of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, held May 2-5, 2018, in Ottawa, Canada. Citing the World Health Organization, they reported that about 125 million people worldwide were exposed to asbestos at work and more than 107 000 workers died from asbestos-related diseases each year. Using US Geological Survey figures, they stated that global asbestos consumption in 2016 was 1.37 million metric tons. India (308 000 tons), China (288 000), Russia (234 000), Brazil (120 000) and Indonesia (114 000) together accounted for about 80% of it. Global production was 1.28 million tons, with Russia producing 54% and Brazil and China about 16% each. The authors described China's position: it imported large quantities from Russia, and 2014 regulations required protective clothing for chrysotile workers but did not ban chrysotile. Exposure occurred at construction sites, building-material plants and shipyards, and near boilers and insulation pipes, and reached families through contaminated clothing. They noted that temporary contract work made epidemiological data hard to gather. They summarized international calls for bans since 2005 and presented a theoretical model linking consumption to expected mesothelioma incidence. They concluded that incidence would rise in Brazil, Russia, India and China over the coming decades.

PubMed has no abstract for this study, and the article doesn't print one. We wrote this summary from the full article with the help of AI. It is not the authors' wording.

In plain English

This article is a short opinion piece (a Viewpoint), not a research study, and it reports no new data. Writing after discussions at the 14th International Mesothelioma Interest Group meeting in Ottawa in May 2018, the authors argued that fast-developing countries still using asbestos, especially Brazil, Russia, India and China, face a rising burden of asbestos-related disease. Citing a US Geological Survey report, they stated that global asbestos consumption in 2016 totaled 1.37 million metric tons, about 80% of it in India, China, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia. Of the 1.28 million metric tons produced globally that year, Russia produced 54%. Citing the World Health Organization, they wrote that about 125 million people are exposed at work and more than 107 000 workers die of asbestos-related diseases each year. They noted that China's 2014 rules required protective clothing for workers involved in mining and processing chrysotile, but did not completely ban chrysotile use. They also offered a theoretical model, not observed data, linking consumption to expected mesothelioma incidence. The authors concluded that it is high time to completely ban asbestos use in developing countries.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Opinion piece (Viewpoint); no original data collected; draws on figures from the US Geological Survey, the World Health Organization and other cited sources
• Who was studied: No study population. The piece discusses asbestos use and exposure in fast-developing countries, especially Brazil, Russia, India and China, with a focus on China. It follows discussions among Chinese delegates at the 14th International Mesothelioma Interest Group meeting, Ottawa, May 2-5, 2018.
• Exposure: Asbestos in general, and especially chrysotile in China. Workplace exposure in China at construction and reconstruction sites (including building-materials manufacture), at shipyards, and near boilers and insulation pipes. The authors also describe family exposure through contaminated work clothes.
• Main results:
  • Citing a US Geological Survey report, the authors stated that estimated global asbestos consumption in 2016 totaled 1.37 million metric tons.
  • Citing the same report, the authors gave consumption for the top 5 countries in 2016: India 308 000 tons, China 288 000 tons, Russia 234 000 tons, Brazil 120 000 tons and Indonesia 114 000 tons. Together these accounted for approximately 80% of global consumption.
  • Citing the same report, the authors stated that estimated global asbestos production in 2016 totaled 1.28 million metric tons. Russia accounted for 54%, and Brazil and China for approximately 16% each.
  • The authors stated that by 2013 China became the largest asbestos consumer worldwide, and that it ranked second (after India) from 2014 to 2016.
  • The authors stated that 2014 regulations from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology required protective clothing for workers involved in mining and processing chrysotile, but that a complete ban on chrysotile use was not issued.
  • Citing the World Health Organization, the authors stated that approximately 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos at their workplaces and more than 107 000 workers die from asbestos-related diseases annually.
  • The authors presented a theoretical model, not observed data, of asbestos consumption and expected mesothelioma incidence. In the model, incidence might have peaked in countries that banned asbestos, but is expected to increase rapidly in developing countries still using large quantities.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that, because a few countries (especially Brazil, Russia, India and China) still use large quantities of asbestos, asbestos-related diseases, especially malignant mesothelioma, are expected to increase significantly in the next few decades. In their view, it is high time to completely ban asbestos use in developing countries.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors noted that information on asbestos exposure in China is complicated by the use of short-term contractors and temporary workers, so epidemiological data are difficult to gather.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, Chrysotile.

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