Asbestos Worldwide
Despite the actions of the United States EPA in banning the use of asbestos in many items, other countries have been much slower to act in banning this dangerous substance. As a result, many countries still use asbestos in a wide variety of products. This is seen most clearly in areas that are considered to be developing more than developed.
Asbestos in the global community is used in many of the same applications as it was used in the US. It is used as a powerful form of insulation as well as a fire retardant. These two properties of asbestos, when combined with its relatively low price-tag, make it very popular. Other applications of the fiber include friction products in cars, like brake pads and clutches, as well as a component of cement buildings and other structures.
One application of asbestos that many forget is its presence in ships. Because of the ban on asbestos in the United States and other developed countries, the industry of ship-breaking has shifted to a variety of other, less-regulated, less-developed countries. In the process of ship-breaking, asbestos is not applied but people are still exposed because of its already existing presence in the ships that are being torn apart for scrap metal and other useful components.
The use of asbestos in ships was not confined to the developed world but exposure to asbestos through scrapping the old ships is confined, for the most part, to port cities that are subject to far fewer regulations. This procedure has created a number of ports that are littered with asbestos fibers and are completely contaminated.
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For more information on the international or worldwide use of asbestos, or for any asbestos-related questions, please contact us today at 800-781-3955.
