US Geological Survey: 750 Metric Tons of Asbestos Imported in 2018

The United States imported an estimated 750 metric tons of raw asbestos in 2018, more than double the total in 2017 and the most entering the country since 2013, according to the recently released U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries report. For the first time, all of the imported asbestos went to the chloralkali industry, which uses it to manufacture semipermeable diaphragms to make chlorine. The report was prepared by Daniel Flanagan, a mineral commodity specialist for the National Minerals Information Center at the U.S. Geological Survey. It is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Asbestos consumers in the United States have been dependent on imports since 2002, when the last domestic production of asbestos products ceased. Microscopic asbestos fibers — when inhaled or ingested — can lead to serious health issues, including mesothelioma. Significant Drop Since Record High Consumption of raw asbestos in the U.S. has dropped significantly since a record high of 803,000 metric tons in 1973. The record low was 325 metric tons in 2015. Recent U.S. consumption of raw asbestos: Year Metric Tons 2010 1,040 2011 1,180 2012 1,610 2013 772 2014 406 2015 325 2016 747 2017 332 2018 750 While no other asbestos-containing products are being manufactured in the United States, the chloralkali industry has increased its consumption significantly. Thirty-five percent of the imported asbestos in 2010 was purchased...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news