I'm astonished and saddened to report that Chrysotile asbestos is not to be added to the world's list of dangerous substances, due to lack of consensus at the Rotterdam Convention meeting in Rome

What is even more worrying is the fact that the lobby against the addition of Chrysotile to the list was led by India, Pakistan and Vietnam, where the fiber has widespread use. These countries are the main importers of Canadian asbestos.

The problem with the Rotterdam Convention, as I see it, is that it does not ban trade in listed substances; it simply requires countries to give prior informed consent that they are aware they are buying harmful materials before they can be shipped.

Globe and Mail

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:34 AM | Permalink

I had to post the following quote from the Times of India, which I came across immediately following my post about Canada and the Rotterdam Convention:

More than 50 countries have banned it. The World Health Organisation says its causes cancer. Even a country that exports it to India prefers not to use it domestically. But India refuses to even label asbestos as a hazardous material and is again ready to internationally commit to import it without any restrictions.

In 2007, Canada exported US $77 million worth of asbestos — almost 95 per cent of the chrysotile asbestos it mined. 43 per cent was shipped to India.

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 07:43 AM | Permalink

The Canadian Federal Government is refusing to reveal what position it will take on listing chrysotile on the world's list of most hazardous substances at a UN-sponsored meeting this week in Rome, despite the fact that the Canadian stand is key to the proceedings, which begin today. Ottawa led efforts to block the listing at the last round of the negotiations two years ago.

This week's talks, more properly known as the Rotterdam Convention, will also be concerned with two other items: the pesticide endosulfan, and tributyltin, an anti-fouling agent. All three substances have been vetted by scientific experts to verify that they pose major human health or environmental dangers.

Chrysotile is the only type of asbestos still sold on the world market and the Quebec Chrysotile industry supports around 700 jobs. Due to health concerns and litigation within Canada itself, 95 per cent of Quebec's output is exported - mainly to developing countries.

So that's 700 jobs compared to approximately 100,000 premature deaths per annum (World Health Organization). Maybe those premature deaths don't count so much because they're in the developing world?

globeandmail

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 07:32 AM | Permalink

On Thursday last, dispatchers at the Cross Street Fire House and Dispatch Center in Middlesex County, Connecticut, became ill after breathing in fumes and odors associated with the cleaning chemicals and compounds commonly used in asbestos remediation.

All the floor tiles in the building were made from asbestos and had also been laid with an adhesive containing hazardous materials.

The project began Wednesday, October 1 and, during the project, firefighters were relocated to main fire headquarters on Main Street, but dispatchers needed to remain in the Cross Street location, while operations were underway. Workers who reported feeling ill were laid off to recover whilst all other workers returned to their duties.

According to the Fire Chief, it was an acute exposure and everybody is now feeling better.

When I initially read this piece, I had assumed it was about exposure to asbestos dust, however, on reading fully it becomes clear that it is the remedial materials that caused the health problems. Is there another health issue here that needs to be acknowledged? Something to do with solving one problem by causing another?

The Middletown Press

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 10:27 AM | Permalink

On Wednesday, when the Ohio Supreme Court rejected a woman's claim for damages against a company that insulated the pipes at her husband's workplace Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton wrote "Imposing such a potential financial burden on these non-manufacturing suppliers years after the fact for an obligation that was not foreseeable at the time would result in a great inequity."

The court ruled 5-2 that a 1977 state Supreme Court decision that extended product liability could not be legally applied to happenings before the court made the ruling.

Lundberg-Stratton wrote that as products containing asbestos have not been manufactured or sold for approximately 30 years, "the time for making these products safer has come and gone."

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 06:01 AM | Permalink

Following the Ohio ruling, courts in Cleveland have trown out about 30,000 asbestos injury claims.

Judge Harry Hanna, one of three judges handling 39,000 asbestos cases for Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, said the dismissed cases covered claims without serious sickness. Claims can be instated if the plaintiffs start to show symptoms of lung disease consistent with asbestos damage.

Hanna said that since the court had already determined that the cases did not meet the law's requirements, the judges could dismiss them all at once.

Midwest News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 05:54 AM | Permalink

In Montreal next week there will be a coming together of the great and the good to discuss whether or not chrysotile should be added to a list of dangerous substances. But even now, proponents of the mineral are arguing the toss.

They're urging Canadian officials to look to science and industry, not an editorial in the latest edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, before agreeing to changing the Rotterdam Convention.

Bernard Coulombe, president of Jeffrey Mine Inc, located, rather aptly, in Asbestos, Quebec is, of course, the greatest proponent - but then he would be, wouldn't he? He says the motivation behind the move has more to do with big business than health and safety.

Coulombe went on to say that listing the product is the first step towards an outright ban, with countries clamoring to add it to the list being wanting to replace it with petroleum-based synthetic fibers. He says that the synthetics cost five to 10 times more and, furthermore, we don't know anything about their effect on human health.

Chrysotile, says Coulombe, "is a natural mineral substance found around the world and, therefore, cannot be included on a list of banned products like pesticides."

The counter argument is that, while Canada can control Chrysotile, most of the developing world that buys the stuff cannot.

Should be an interesting debate.

570News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 05:12 AM | Permalink

With the energy efficiency of our homes being high on the agenda, a timely warning is due to remind folk that asbestos is a common component of insulation materials.

The Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center have made the following recommendations:

* When replacing older insulation fixtures, consult with a home inspector or asbestos consultant to ensure their is no asbestos within.

* When disposing of water heater sleeves, ensure that are intact and contain no asbestos by speaking to one of the above professionals

* When switching to more energy efficient light fixtures, ensure that the wiring contains no asbestos insulation. Also be sure when engaging with older ceilings that they are intact and stable.

Transworld News

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 05:29 AM | Permalink

Well, I obviously didn't think things through before posting on the Ohio ruling that a 2004 law imposing stricter rules on those suing for asbestos-related injuries can be applied to cases pending before the law was passed. My report on the ruling was brief and to the point; it did not expand on the probable consequences.

Then, this morning I read a report on ajc.com that made me think again.

Wednesday's 6-1 decision has the potential to frustrate thousands of people seeking claims in Florida, Georgia, Kansas and other states that have sought to use such laws to reduce litigation related to asbestos.

The 2004 law requires that a medical expert personally treat the claimant rather than just review his files and that plaintiffs must offer specific medical evidence that asbestos exposure caused disease or medical impairment. When it was enacted on Sept. 2, 2004, it made the requirements retroactive to lawsuits filed before that date.

This ruling concerned Linda Ackison, who filed a wrongful--death lawsuit in May 2004, just months before the evidentiary requirements were enacted. The suit was filed against her late husband's former employer, Dayton Malleable, and other defendants; it alleged that long-term exposure to asbestos in the workplace contributed to the illness and death of her husband, Danny.

Ackison's attorneys argued that the heightened requirements made substantive changes to the state's law and that the less stringent legal standards in effect when she sued should have been applied.

A challenge to a similar law in Florida is before the courts and a decision is expected next year. A Kansas law has not been legally challenged. In Georgia, there has been no challenge to the new law passed by state lawmakers after the retroactivity of the state's asbestos litigation law was struck down.

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 05:08 AM | Permalink

Yesterday, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the 2004 law imposing stricter criteria on lawsuits concerned with asbestos related deaths and illnesses can be applied to cases that were lodged prior to the passing of the law.

This ruling will have a profound effect on possibly tens of thousands of cases concerning the health effects of asbestos that were already going through the Ohio legal system.

The court ruled 6-1 on applying the law retroactively because, they said, the changes were 'remedial and procedural' in nature. The Ohio Constitution bars retroactive laws that change the nature, or substance, of a law, they said.

Ohio.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:54 AM | Permalink

Researchers in the United States have recently discovered that taking a vitamin C supplement while undergoing chemotherapy may actually reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs.

Doctors and scientists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York grew human cancer cells in the laboratory with the presence of Vitamin C, then they added chemotherapy medications to the cells to see if there was any effect.

Chemotherapy drugs used were: Cisplatin, doxorubicin, methotrexate, vincristine, and gleevec.

They found that, when vitamin C was added, the chemotherapy drugs killed between 30% and 70% fewer cancer cells than when vitamin C was not added.

The researchers also implanted mice with human cancer cells, and then gave the mice vitamin C before treating them with chemotherapy. In the mice that were given vitamin C, the tumors grew at a more rapid pace.

The research leader, Dr Mark Heaney, remarked: "I don’t recommend taking supplemental vitamin C during that period of time that my patients are receiving chemotherapy."

The report does not say whether or not there is to be more research on this matter but, as Vitamin C is vital to health, further good quality research must be undertaken.

MedHeadlines

Cancer Active

Medicinenet

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 04:29 AM | Permalink

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries has fined McNeil Island State Prison $24,800 following the exposure of at least 18 people to asbestos.

State records say that supervisors made inmates of the jail remove potentially asbestos contaminated material without supplying personal protective equipment and without taking common-sense precautions. This despite the fact that the inmates raised concerns about the procedure.

Prison officials told the Department of Labor and Industries that they thought they were doing the removal correctly and that they didn't think the Puget Sound Clean Air Act's asbestos regulations applied to the work. However, the Department of Corrections does not dispute the underlying facts of the case.

A detailed account of the case can be found at NewsTribune.com

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 04:16 AM | Permalink

After maintenance workers on Tampa street cars learned that some of the cars' electrical components contain asbestos, transit officials ordered the parts swapped out for new ones.

Ed Crawford, spokesman for Hillsborough Area Regional Trust said that, although the parts pose no health hazard if left alone, asbestos is such a loaded word that the work had to be undertaken. He estimates the cost will be "thousands of dollars."

A $310,000 plan to move the streetcars to an offisite sealed location for the installation of the new parts was rejected because the work can be handled in-house for substantially less. However, the project could still prove costly because of the special precautions needed when handling asbestos.

The asbestos is contained inside ceramic insulating devices made in the 1930s. They were installed underneath the passenger cabin and inside the cabin in the controller boxes used by motormen to adjust the streetcar's speed. The removal will commence when the new parts come in, probably a couple of months time.

Tampa Bay Online

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 08:58 AM | Permalink

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has been fined $9,030 for demolishing structures without notifying the EPA as required by federal Clean Air Act asbestos regulations.

In August 2007, EPA and California Air Resources Board inspectors determined that structures owned by LADWP
were demolished by Department employees without prior notification to the EPA, a requirement of the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants' regulations for asbestos.

Press Zoom

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 04:55 AM | Permalink

Well, according to a spokesman for the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if the area is not crumbling or flaking, the best thing to do is to leave it alone.

If you think that your floor tiles contain asbestos, Tom Kraeutler, the co-host of syndicated radio show,The Money Pit, says that your best bet is to lay another floor or carpet over it. Kraeutler goes on to say that a sealant is usually unnecessary.

Kraeutler's advice for a ceiling coated with popcorn paint (textured spray paint) is that it can be repainted, which should seal the material in place. If the ceiling must be scraped, the paint should be tested to see if it contains asbestos (not all popcorn ceilings do). If asbestos is found it should be removed by a certified remediation company.

When it comes to asbestos siding. it should be removed, because nailing new siding on top of it could crack the shingles and release fibers. Insulated heating pipes can be encapsulated by a professional with a special sealant, and loose-fill can be left in place if not disturbed.

Any time there is any question about whether a crumbling or flaking material contains asbestos, it should be tested. The problem is that you can't ascertain whether a material contains asbestos just by looking at it.

The easiest way to test is to wet a small section, so that the fibers don't become airborne, and break or cut off a piece about the size of a nickel. You don't need to wear gloves, asbestos is only dangerous when airborne. The sample can then be sent to a testing lab. The cost can be $100 or more but it is essential that you have the work done. You should use a federally accredited laboratory; the list is updated on a monthly basis.

If you do have contaminated material in your home or garden, it must be be removed by a licensed asbestos remediation company. However, there are different rules for different states, so you should check out your local directives. Most asbestos-removal jobs for a homeowner are in the region of $5,000 to $10,000.

New York Times

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 07:00 AM | Permalink

Residents of the Westview Park area in Baltimore County held an emergency meeting with government officials on October 1. At that meeting the Maryland Department of the Environment were called to test houses, and other buildings close to a dusty construction site, for asbestos contamination.

The residents are fearful of the amount of asbestos they might be inhaling. However, there are no state or county regulations for dealing with asbestos and the government have been slow to respond.

IN reference to the recent heavy downpours that have washed the dust away, one resident said, "Everyone is letting evidence slip away in the rain."

In response to residents concerns, the site developer, Enterprise Homes, halted a mid-September rock-crushing operation that generated the dust. The company ordered the work to be stopped Sept. 22, when tests showed asbestos is naturally present in the rocks.

Although the law does not apply to naturally occurring asbestos, as was found at the Enterprise Homes site, the state has been asked to hire independent contractors to inspect the site and surrounding area.

Catonsville Times

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 09:20 AM | Permalink

A 49 year old woman with mesothelioma has found relief by undergoing a medical treatment called laparoscopic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (LHIPEC). This impossibly named treatment dramatically reduced the accumulation of fluid (ascites) in the woman's abdomen.

Following the procedure, which involves delivering chemotherapy drugs directly into the membrane lining the abdominal cavity, the woman experienced complete abdominal symptom relief. In fact, ascites did not even recur during a follow-up period of six months.

The treatment, administered as part of a study, is a potential palliative therapy. A spokesman from the Italian University of Perugia said, "It's an option in cases not eligible for radical treatments, but further studies are needed to standardize dosage and perfusion parameters."

If further testing on laparoscopic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy continues to promote positive results, it could eventually become a great therapeutic tool for patients when other medical therapies have already failed.

Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy and Percutaneous Techniques

Posted by Dianne Sandland at 03:42 AM | Permalink