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NEW DELHI: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.
Even the 1989 ban on manufacture of asbestos-made products in
the US 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 even in India, asbestos and asbestos-made
products are often considered a health and environment hazard,
said Joy Manglani, director of 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
risk created by asbestos in buildings, where it is used in roofs,
is so low that it can barely be measured, he said.
"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 said, noting that
"asbestos fibres become a health hazard only when they are airborne
and Inhaled".
Dilip Biswas, director, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
agreed Saying, "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 there is 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.
In a typical environment, asbestos level of 0.0005 f/ml, several
thousand fibres are inhaled by a person into the lungs every day
but only a fraction of the fibres remain there for long. "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," Manglani said.
"The vast majority of these fibres are less than 5 ums in length
and are, therefore, not considered dangerous to people, he says,
adding this also holds good for asbestos cement products".
But, Biswas said, inspite of this the myth still persists that
asbestos and asbestos-made products are dangerous for health and
it is widely recognised that inhalation of long, thin and durable
fibres can induce or promote lung cancer.
In India, people are not aware of the fact that the ban on asbestos
has been lifted, with the result that their attitude has affected
the sales figures of asbestos-made products, said Manglani, adding
"the sales figures have reduced compared to alternative material
like plastic and metal pipes and sheets".
This mindset has even glossed over the eco-friendly nature of
the asbestos cement industry, environmentalist Ravl Aggarwal said,
pointing out that the raw material used in asbestos cement
products are asbestos fibres, cement, pozzolona (fly ash) and
water, all primarily natural.
"The manufacturing process too reduces the possibility of
free or floating fibre in the environment and does not involve
any hazardous chemical reaction that we find in most other alternative
material," said Aggarwal.
"Pozzolona too, which is an otherwise hazardous solid
waste from several thermal plants and whose disposal is
a major problem, forms an important reactant raw material
for ac pipes and sheets, making its consumption environment
friendly".
As it is, asbestos sheets lend themselves to rapid construction
and, therefore, have been particularly useful for lightwelght
housing and industrial buildings, Manglani said.
Another advantage is the less consumption of power that
ac pipes and sheets require, mainly due to their no corrosion
protection due to the use of asbestos, he added.
Apart from its environment-friendly properties, usage of asbestos-made
products has other benefits too. For instance, "an important benefit
to a developing country like India is that asbestos products create
local jobs, for unlike other pipe manufacturing operations,
the construction of ac pipes does not require a large, highly-trained
labour force," Manglani said.
"The equipment required for the manufacture of ac pipes and sheets
is very simple and often locally available. "AC pipes can also
withstand surges unlike plastic pipes, particularly in
case of intermittent water supply." he said.
Biswas also said efforts to substitute asbestos in cement
pipes with manmade fibres or locally available non-mineral
fibres, such as coconut, sugarcane have not met with much success.
"Not only are they more expensive but also unable to withstand
the heat or pressure of the cement pipe manufacturing process,
and they have not met the desired quality standards," he said.
"For a developing country like India, it is not commercially
viable to go in for expensive substitutes. The basic measure on
the agenda should be to change the Indian mindset, so that the
public has real knowledge of what asbestos is, what its effects
on health are and the conditions under which it may be considered
safe or unsafe," Manglani said.
"With ignorance, they will be the ultimate loser, as they will
then have to spend more on alternatives. So, for manufacturers
and customers alike, education is the password," he said .
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