South African asbestos: production, exports, and destinations, 1959-1993

Our plain-English summary of South African asbestos: production, exports, and destinations, 1959-1993, by J.S. Harington, N.D. McGlashan (American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 1998).

The study

• Authors: J.S. Harington, N.D. McGlashan
• Journal: American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Published: 1998;33(4):321-6
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 21 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Production and export figures of South African asbestos were analyzed over 1959-1993. They show stable sales of chrysotile. Those of crocidolite and amosite reached their peaks in the mid-1970s, after which trade fell drastically, crocidolite to 5% of its earlier peak and amosite to nil. Factors responsible for these virtual collapses were health issues, stricter legislation in First World countries, and litigation. In 1992, 21 countries continued to import crocidolite, although in reduced quantities. In the early 1960s, Europe and North America were the major recipients of South African asbestos. By 1989-91, these regions were surpassed by the Far East, which took over 90% of chrysotile and 70% of amosite. For crocidolite at that time, the Middle East took nearly 40%, Europe 28%, and Africa 21%. This implies that the newly importing countries can confidently expect an increase in asbestos-related disease and death well into the twenty-first century, even if the trade ceased now.

In plain English

This article was a descriptive analysis of official South African government statistics on asbestos production and exports from 1959 to 1993, and on which countries received the asbestos. It did not study disease in people. The authors reported that chrysotile sales stayed stable, while crocidolite and amosite trade fell steeply from earlier peaks. Crocidolite exports dropped to 5% of their peak and amosite exports stopped. The authors attributed these falls to health issues, stricter laws in First World countries, and litigation. In the early 1960s Europe and North America were the main buyers. By 1989-91 the Far East took over 90% of chrysotile and 70% of amosite. For crocidolite, the Middle East took nearly 40%, Europe 28% and Africa 21%. Fifty-nine countries imported South African crocidolite in 1980. In 1992, 21 countries imported a total of 15,996 tons. Destination figures were unavailable for about 1965-1981 because of sanctions. The authors concluded that the newly importing countries can expect more asbestos-related disease and death well into the twenty-first century, even if the trade stopped.

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: Descriptive analysis of government production and export (trade) statistics
• Who was studied: Not people: South African asbestos production and exports, and the countries that imported them, 1959-1993, using Department of Mines and Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs publications
• Exposure: Trade in South African chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite. Small amounts of tremolite, anthophyllite and Transvaal crocidolite were counted with Cape crocidolite. Tonnages are US tons of 2,000 lbs.
• Main results:
  • Chrysotile sales were stable. Crocidolite exports fell to 5% of their peak and amosite exports stopped.
  • In the early 1960s Europe and North America were the main destinations. By 1989-91 the Far East took over 90% of chrysotile and 70% of amosite.
  • For crocidolite in 1989-91, the Middle East took nearly 40%, Europe 28% and Africa 21%.
  • In 1991 the major importers of South African asbestos were Japan (64%), South Korea (28%) and Thailand (5%).
  • Over 1980-1992, 26 countries imported crocidolite. Among the largest were the United States with 91,683 tons and Italy with 59,747 tons.
  • Crocidolite imports stopped entirely in Germany in 1987, France in 1988 and the United Kingdom in 1991.
  • In 1992, 21 countries imported 15,996 tons of South African crocidolite in total. This was 5% of the 344,234 tons the same 21 countries imported in the peak year, 1977. The three largest importers, all Arab League members, took 47% of the 1992 total.
  • The number of countries importing South African crocidolite fell from 59 in 1980 to 21 in 1992.
  • The total labor force at South African asbestos mines fell from 11,968 workers at 21 mines in 1980 to 1,940 workers at 5 mines in 1995.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that the newly importing countries can expect an increase in asbestos-related disease and death well into the twenty-first century, even if the trade stopped. This is the authors' inference; the study did not measure disease.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Destination data were not available from about 1965 to 1981 because of sanctions against the South African government.
  • Export and destination figures for the most recent 2 years were withheld from each publication for company confidentiality.
  • Some countries were only presumed not to be importing because they were absent from the 1992 returns.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Amosite, Chrysotile, Crocidolite.

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

Related studies

• The South African asbestos trade, 1994-1999 — J.S. Harington, N.D. McGlashan (2000)
• South Africa's export trade in asbestos: demise of an industry — J.S. Harington, N.D. McGlashan, et al. (2010)
• Ban all production and export of chrysotile asbestos — G. Paradis (2010)
• Re: Paradis G. Ban all production and export of chrysotile asbestos [Editor's Page]. Can J Public Health 2010;101(5):352 — M. Greenberg (2011)
• South African experience with asbestos related environmental mesothelioma: is asbestos fiber type important? — N. White, G. Nelson, et al. (2008)
• Canada accused of hypocrisy over asbestos exports — T. Kirby (2010)

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