Safe disposal of asbestos is vital to protect people and the environment
South Africa’s incidence of mesothelioma, a type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers most of your internal organs, is ranked among the highest in the world. This cancer stems from over a century of asbestos mining and production.
Since the 1930s, medical science has recognized the potential dangers of asbestos. Asbestos is friable, which means that the ‘fibrils’ which form its fibrous crystal structure can break off and be released into the atmosphere following abrasion or agitation. Inhalation of these toxic fibres can accumulate in the lungs, which causes life-threatening conditions like mesothelioma and asbestosis – and sadly sometimes only decades later.
Even though generally it does not pose a high health risk, powerful asbestos industry lobbyists (especial...