Viewpoint 39-3: Canada's asbestos policy: economics trump global health concerns.

• Author: Gupta, Suman
• Position: Reprint

Asbestos was once considered so safe it was used as an ingredient in toothpaste. Today asbestos is recognized as a potent carcinogen by health experts and scientists worldwide. Despite this, in Canada it seems economic concerns take precedence over health when it comes to the international trade of asbestos.

History of asbestos

The history of asbestos and its uses goes back to ancient times. The ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have woven asbestos into cloth for funeral dress and shrouds, wicks, and napkins that could be easily cleaned by simply throwing them on fire.

Asbestos refers to six naturally occurring fibrous minerals found all over the world. Asbestos fibres have several unique, desirable qualities--such as low conductivity and resistance to high temperature and chemical attack--making them ideal for use in hundreds of products and applications.

What is it used for?

From the 1930s to 1990 there was widespread use of asbestos in house-building materials in Canada. Today asbestos can be found in insulation board, shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, and certain types of cement.

When does it pose a health threat?

Asbestos is believed to pose little risk when encapsulated in housing materials that are in good condition, and is only considered a health hazard when its fibres are present in the air.

According to Health Canada, health risks caused by asbestos depend on the

* concentration of fibres in the air

* length of exposure time

* frequency of exposure

* size of fibres inhaled

* amount of time since first exposure

When inhaled in large quantities or over a long period of time, the fibres present in the air accumulate in the lungs, causing irritation and inflammation that can reduce lung function and cause serious forms of cancer.

Politics and bad science

Despite asbestos being strictly regulated in Canada under the Hazardous Products Act (1985), Canada is the fifth largest exporter of chrysotile asbestos. In June 2011 the government released a statement that "all scientific reviews clearly confirm that chrysotile [white asbestos] fibres can be used safely under controlled conditions."

This stance is at odds with many studies indicating that, although the nature of chrysotile fibres makes it less potent than other types of asbestos, chrysotile is still a powerful carcinogen known to cause cancers of the lung, mesothelium, and ovaries.

A potent carcinogen

In 2008 Health Canada created a panel of international experts to discuss...