Stop Canadian death export of asbestos

Our plain-English summary of Stop Canadian death export of asbestos, by P. Leuprecht (International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2011).

The study

• Author: P. Leuprecht
• Journal: International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
• Published: 2011;17(3):285-6
• Type of article: Editorial
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This is an editorial, not a research study, and it reports no new data. The author argued against Canada's export of asbestos. The author wrote that innumerable people have lost their lives as a result of asbestos. The author also wrote that decreasing amounts of asbestos are used in Canada while massive amounts are shipped to developing countries. The author called it a double standard that Canadian governments promote asbestos use abroad while removing asbestos from public buildings at home. The author criticized producers and supporters who claim that asbestos, particularly chrysotile, can be used in a "controlled" and "safe" way. In the author's view, exporting asbestos threatens the rights to life and health of people in the receiving countries, which makes it a human rights issue. The author concluded that the Quebec government should not guarantee a Can $58 million loan requested by the promoters of a plan to revive the Mine Jeffrey asbestos mine.

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: editorial (opinion piece); no original research or data
• Who was studied: No study population. The editorial discusses asbestos produced in Canada and Quebec and exported to developing countries.
• Exposure: Asbestos produced in and exported from Canada and Quebec, including chrysotile asbestos
• Main results:
  • The author argued (without presenting new data) that asbestos has caused many deaths
  • The author argued that Canadian governments promote asbestos use in developing countries while removing it from public buildings in Canada
  • The author criticized claims by producers and supporters that asbestos, particularly chrysotile, can be used in a "controlled" and "safe" way
  • The author argued that exporting asbestos threatens the human rights of people in receiving countries
• The authors' conclusion: The author concluded that the Quebec government should not guarantee a Can $58 million loan to revive the Mine Jeffrey asbestos mine.

Related studies

• Asbestos mortality: a Canadian export — A. Attaran, D.R. Boyd, et al. (2008)
• Canada accused of hypocrisy over asbestos exports — T. Kirby (2010)
• Ban all production and export of chrysotile asbestos — G. Paradis (2010)
• An examination of the fibrous mineral content of asbestos lung tissue from the Canadian chrysotile mining industry — F.D. Pooley (1976)
• Mortality and cancer morbidity in a cohort of Canadian petroleum workers — R.J. Lewis, A.R. Schnatter, et al. (2003)
• Exposing the "myth" of ABC, "anything but chrysotile": a critique of the Canadian asbestos mining industry and McGill University chrysotile studies — D. Egilman, C. Fehnel, et al. (2003)

Browse more research in International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, or return to medical research.