Alarming Spike in Imported Asbestos Products in Canada

The importation of asbestos into Canada increased by a startling 22 percent in 2014, raising safety concerns for the unsuspecting general public and those still working with the toxic products. Brake pads and brake linings were the most popular asbestos import, valued at a seven-year high of $3.6 million, according to The Globe and Mail news service research. Other related imports included various friction materials, compressed asbestos fiber jointing and shipments of crocidolite fibers — the most dangerous form of asbestos. Much of the findings came from Statistics Canada, a government website that provides economic, social and census data. While the Canadian government maintains asbestos can be used safely under controlled conditions, health experts say there are unavoidable dangers and a complete ban is needed. "It's hard to quantify the risk, but with a known carcinogen that's associated with cancers at extremely low levels of exposure, I just don't think you can be too cautious on this," Paul Demers, University of Toronto professor in public health and director of the Occupational Cancer Research Centre at Cancer Care Ontario, told the Globe and Mail. The total value of Canadian asbestos imports in 2014 was $6 million — a significant jump from $4.9 million in 2013. Although the use of asbestos materials in Canada has dropped dramatically in the last 20 years, and the last asbestos mine in Canada ceased operations in 2011, the recent...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Asbestos Exposure & Bans Source Type: news