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NEW DELHI: March 10
Branded as a fibre that leads to lung disorders, fibrosis and
even cancer for long, asbestos now gets a new lease of life thanks
to efforts being made to counter the "myths and misconceptions"
surrounding the fibre and instead highlighting its eco-friendly
nature, reports PTI.
Even
the 1989 ban on the manufacture of asbestos-made products in the
USA was overthrown by the US federal court recently, which termed
the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rule as "not
fair".
If
passed, the EPA rule would have banned manufacture of products
which use asbestos like new brakes, cement pipes, shingles, sheets,
gaskets, paper and roof coating.
However
the myth still remains that asbestos is banned in the US, with
the result that in India asbestos and asbestos made products are
often considered a health and environment hazard, says Joy Manglani,
director, Only Nature Endures, an environmental NGO which is striving
to counter the myths surrounding asbestos.
This,
despite recent research findings pointing out that the health
risks created by asbestos in buildings, where it is used in roofs,
is so low that it can barely be measured, he says.
"The
hazards of disease from asbestos are restricted to the inhalation
of respirable fibres as evidence shows that ingested fibres are
readily extracted and do not cause disease", he says noting
that "asbestos fibres become a health hazard only when
they are airborne and inhaled".
Agrees
Dilip Biswas, director, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),
"Most fibres are non eco-friendly and are dangerous for health
and we cannot just single out asbestos alone. A lot depends
on the manner in which the fibre is allowed to move, for if a
bonded asbestos fibre is used then there is absolutely no problem".
"It
is only when the textile or fibre which uses this raw material
discharges it in the air that poses a danger for health".
Research
also shows that dangerous fibres are only those which are longer
than 5 to 8 microns (UMS) and thinner than 1.5 microns, with a
length-to-diameter ratio greater than 3:1.
However, though several thousand might suggest a high dose, in
fact in mass terms it might represent only 0.2 micrograms per
day, which is a minute fraction of the total particulate matter
we typically inhale everyday from the air, says Manglani.
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