asbestos in Thailand: SCAREY

[cookie]

Asbestos-linked illness wave on the way
Widespread use of the industrial mineral puts many Thais at risk

* Published: 10/07/2010 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: News

Thousands of Thais are likely to fall ill with asbestos-related illnesses in the next few years - the legacy of decades of widespread use of the industrial mineral.

About 90% of asbestos fibres in Thailand are found in roofing tiles and cement pipes. Homebuyers may not know that their homes contain the carcinogen.

Use of asbestos has been banned in 47 developed nations after exposure to the mineral, used widely in the construction industry, resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Workers exposed to asbestos in the workplace came down with chronic lung diseases and lung cancer, caused by inhaling microscopic asbestos fibres, in some cases decades before the disease came to light.

Mesothelioma is a lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

International organisations, including the World Heath Organisation (WHO), support a ban on asbestos use.

But the mineral is still legally in use by manufacturers and builders here.

It can help absorb noise, and is resistant to heat, electrical and chemical damage.

The first case of a Thai dying of mesothelioma was reported in 2008. The 75-year-old man had worked in a roofing tile factory that had been using asbestos for more than 20 years.

Doctors believe he inhaled asbestos fibres two or three decades ago. It took that long for his cancer to develop.

Thailand has used asbestos for over 30 years.

Pichaya Pakthongsuk, a medical lecturer at Prince of Songkla University, estimates up to 1,200 Thais with mesothelioma are likely to emerge every year before long.

She provides the estimate based on the fact that the country imports more than 100,000 tonnes of chrysotile asbestos a year.

That is equivalent to asbestos use of 3kg a head, a rate considered high and potentially hazardous.

In Thailand, about 90% of the asbestos sold goes into roof tiles and cement pipes.

The rest goes into the production of brakes and clutches, vinyl floor tiles, gaskets and heat insulating materials.

Pressured by consumer groups and health advocates, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) in March issued a regulation requiring that materials which include asbestos must display a consumer warning about how it can cause cancer and other serious lung diseases.

But the measure is viewed by many as insufficient and ineffective. Without an outright ban, they believe more people are likely to fall ill from asbestos-related diseases.

A small warning logo, designated by the OCPB as being 3x3 centimetres in size, would simply not be sufficient to alert consumers about the potential hazards, says Witaya Kulsomboon of Chulalongkorn University's faculty of pharmaceuticals.

"I don't think the public are aware of the labelling requirement," he says. "Homebuyers may not know, or may not ask whether their house has asbestos in it."

The threats from exposure to asbestos are not just limited to those workers in factories making materials containing asbestos.

Demolition or other forms of disturbance to buildings containing asbestos could spread the substance into the air, extending the risk to passers-by and residents as well.

Transportation of asbestos materials, and disposal of asbestos waste also poses a danger to the public, he says.

Many developed countries banned asbestos in the 1990s, after asbestosis-related diseases came to light following heavy use of the material there during industrialisation from the 1960s to 1980s.

Overseas, the number of patients suffering from asbestos exposure is likely to drop by 2020 due to the ban, says the researcher. Here, the number of patients falling ill has only started to rise.

Apart from causing mesothelioma, asbestos also contributes to lung cancer and the lung disease asbestosis.

"People who smoke and are exposed to asbestos double their risk of lung cancer," says Mr Witaya.

Consumer groups led by the Foundation for Consumers have called for a ban on the import and use of asbestos in Thailand for the sake of public health.

They also want a regulation stipulating measures on the demolition of buildings containing asbestos, based on internationally-accepted standards.

Although some manufacturers and developers have stopped using asbestos due to safety concerns and the availability of alternatives, others are still at it, he says. The alternatives include polyvinyl alcohol, for roof tiles.

"It costs a few thousand baht more to build a small townhouse with non-asbestos materials," he says.

Mr Witaya believes the government should step in. "Some companies have told me they would be willing to stop using asbestos if the government issues a regulation banning it," he says. "We really need long-term prevention measures. Why are we waiting?" he asks.

[tutone]

My father died from mesothelioma and it is a very bad way to go. There is no cure and once diagnosed you have about six months left. Knowing that asbestos is used in so many building materials here, I would advise anyone to be EXTREMELY cautious when doing any type of home improvement or remodeling. Better yet don't use or work with any product that might contain asbestos. I doubt if there is any legal recourse here in Thailand for exposure to asbestos.

[747man]

There is this ENGLISH Guy who at present is having a two storey house built DIRECTLY behind My House, And he has used ASBESTOS Roofing tiles, I Told him of my concerns,Guess what he said ??? " He Could'nt give a flying Fu*k " Then as I complained too much to him,He went and built a 2 metre high wall on his land,But directly adjacent to the exsisting boundary wall which has been there ever since we have been in our house ( 15 Years ) ( So I cannot do anything about it )But done it very underhand, He had the wall constructed while My Wife & I were away in Jomtien & Rayong for a short holiday of 8 days,He even sliced the decorative tops off MY Pillars ( He said they overhung his land by 3 Inches )BRILLIANT & He is supposed to be a Businessman...........I Reckon the guy is LOWER than a snakes belly.....What do you think ???? Your Opinions would be gratefully appreciated....Thanks...

[arjay]

I didn't think there were such things as asbestos tiles in use these days. I would guess they are probably some sort of fibre mix, like the fibre roofing sheets and conwood boards.

Re your neighbour's new higher wall, you hadn't been throwing your empties over the wall had you?

My understanding is that your neighbour can build his wall as high as he likes, if it is on his land. That's what I got told when someone bought land behind me in Phuket, and built a 3m high wall, on a very steep rising mountainside!

[wazza]

747

Does the local municipality regulations cover any of this ?

Do they have any sort of mediation / consultation programme.

I know its Thailand , and not the UK, etc... but worth checking ?

[747man]

747

Does the local municipality regulations cover any of this ?

Do they have any sort of mediation / consultation programme.

I know its Thailand , and not the UK, etc... but worth checking ?

Wazza, As you say & HE Also said similar TIT,And I dont think they give a Toss !!!

[cookie]

the most shocking to me is that Thailand still imports every year more than 100.000 tonnes of asbestos
that is big, 100.000 tonnes every year

[tigerryan]

Asbestos is all over the place. A little town in Montana called Libby is ground zero for asbestos it was mined there by W.R. Grace it's natural the high school in Libby had the running track was made out of it . I heard (could be BS) that they had a hard time finding people in Libby with Mesotheleoma that did not smoke. Lots of older guys died from it because they were literally flocking it onto ships and piping with no protection during the war. I would prefer to not have Asbestos anything on my new construction, not so much because I would be afraid of the potential hazard but because of disclosure and remediation cost if someone else or the bank had a problem with it. Entire cities were built with asbestos roof and floor tiles.

Asbestos has been studied to death it can kill you no doubt but the transportation of the fibers is not really that likely if it's smashed in tar on your roof tiles it needs to be friable and made airborne. Its commonly just painted over or wetted and removed for disposal.

Smoking cigarettes is what kills people left and right. I don't like cigaret smoke but I keep it all in perspective when Im around it. I have worked around asbestos pipe coverings with loose friable fibers a bit and I often think if Im ever going to have problems but my exposer to it is nothing compared to the miners, processors and applicators of it. Just my two cents....hak....hak....hak...spitt...hak

[wazza]

Tigeryan

good summary ,

In Australia the mining town of Wittenoom was the " Libby " of Oz, Miners there, filing law suits for their diseases together with CSR ,James Hardie major players in the construction industry etc

The old story is the companies appeal and appeal, etc taking years to settle, hoping the diseased employees eventualy pop off literally.

James Hardie were found accountable in the courts of Australia and were required to set up a fund for the compensation. The Company moved off shore to the Netherlands and Hague in a deliberate attempt to avoid paying compensation and reducing their duty of care etc.

Those who follow the Australian Band - Midnight Oil will recognise the story line of the famous song from 1990- Blue Sky Mine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wittenoom, ... _Australia

[homer]

We have a town in Quebec, Canada that mines asbestos for export as well. What's the name of the town??? Wait for it...Asbestos! Use of asbestos within Canada has been banned since late 1976, but the government seems to turn a blind eye to exporting it to other countries. Mostly China and most of southeast Asia. I've seen asbestos roofing tiles all over Thailand. If you happen to find out that have any of these in your home, I would strongly recommend not trying to remove them. As Tigeryan mentioned, it doesn't pose a threat unless it is broken up and the fibres become friable.(airborne) What you can do is spray the underside with a non-toxic emulsifier or resin to seal the tiles. By the way, other things that asbestos has been used in is ceiling tiles(drop ceilings) and school chalkboards.

[cookie]

By the way, other things that asbestos has been used in is ceiling tiles(drop ceilings) and school chalkboards.

almost 80-90 percent has these kind of ceiling tiles in Thailand??????

school chalkboards for the kids???????
this is getting worse every day ....

[rickfarang]

Certainly, I lived for two years under a ceiling insulated with asbestos my my wife's family home. Look: if you leave it alone, there is usually no problem. If you are worried, then paint over it with latex paint, and it won't shed microscopic particles. The sad fact is that those (lowly-paid workers) who install and then decades later remove the asbestos are those who are the most at risk.

[Khun Paul]

If we put things into some sort of a rational perspective.
1 Asbestos can be and is dangerous however in normal circumstances if it is installed and not damaged in anyway it is relatively safe.
2 The persons mainly at risk were the miners and the makers of the stuff.
3 When I was in England I managed to get a whole Police station closed for 3 weeks , which was down to asbestos being found in the ceilings, however I was advised by the H and S chappies, that danger was minimal providing , it was not cut up on site and just removed.

I do agree with some of the comments but we must keep things at a sensible level, we must also understand that in many places where asbestos is used , it is not subject to termite or other bug like attacks ( they don't like it either) so for this country its use is warranted although we ( us foreigners) know and understand the risks, here they seem to either ignore them or are in fact ignorant of them .

A watching brief is therefore advised and be careful with it.

[wazza]

Cant agree with u KP , where u say its warranted.

There is no HSE supervision in place, we have all seen the way building materials are , stored installed and also demolished.

There is no campaign anywhere regarding safe pratices with this product, not even in the stores selling it.

The vast majority of Thais would be ignorant of this product and its dangers once damaged. Therefore it cant be warranted.

Unless ur using stats like, Thailand imports 100,000 tonnes a year and only 10 deaths recorded etc. Well lets assume that all the regional and rural hospitals have the knowledge and ability to test for this disease. I imagine the vast majority of misdiagnosed cases would be just a simple case of Pulmonary carcinoma.

Have you ever seen an old house or building anywhere in Thailand that has been screened off and workers using full protective PPE and signs out, making the public aware of the demolition ? I havent not even in BKK. So where does it get dumped......the local refuse , damaged and open to the environment.....

[Khun Paul]

What I said WAS, we understand the risks, the Thais do not, as it is BUG proof, ( including termites) you can understand its use here, that is how I said it is warranted.
Nothing to dp with H S E being in place just its affordability and the Thai thought processes.

[wazza]

U cant warrant or justify a product that is dangerous when its broken down, damaged with poor controls in place to protect the population.

[cookie]

more news on the use of asbestos in Thailand:

their seems to be a plan to finally ban asbestos in Thailand, but as always.......
this sounds again too good to be true,
bribes will be paid!!!!!

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/01 ... 46864.html

Planned asbestos ban a boon to SCG, tile maker claims
By Nalin Viboonchart
The Nation
Published on January 21, 2011

A maker of concrete roof tiles yesterday protested against the move to ban chrysotile asbestos from roofing sheets over health concerns, claiming most manufacturers would be driven out of business while Siam Cement Group was expected to be the only one to benefit.

If the government decides to ban asbestos, many makers including Oran Vanich will close their plants and 5,000-6,000 workers will lose their jobs,

more excuses

"So far, there are no scientific findฌings that prove that Thais who have died from mesothelioma died from a disease caused by asbestos. So why do we have to change to benefit the minority, and force most Thais who are poor to use the expensive products?"

Vithaya Kulsomboon, director of pharmaceutical sciences at Chulalongkorn University, and a member of NESAC, said 57 countries and territories, including all of Europe, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong, have banned asbestos from roof tiles.

why do you think this was done????

Although there is no proof in Thailand that asbestos in roof tiles causes mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, other countries have evidence and class the mineral as a dangerous substance.

[wazza]

Cookie

a good post

1 reason why they have no evidence is that the "poor" people who get this tragic disease, cant afford the tests etc, they just accept a nasty X ray from a small clinic that i bet is reported as normal pulmonary carcinoma, treated as such and a rapid decline in their health.

Is mesothelioma a reportable occupational disease in Thailand ??

Ask James Hardy Industries from Australia, what asbestos does in the construction industry. They have lost every court battle so far and moved their business to tax havens to reduce their liabilty for compensation.

As you have suggested, Oran Vanich wont need to move off shore, they will just pay the environmental inspectors.

i would love to do a thesis on their current and past workers and their health backgrounds. I bet i would be in the ground quicker than the workers !

[goodybags]

I was shocked to see Thailand is still using Asbestos widespread in their buildings
but thinking about it not really suprised, think about Thai way
(as I look out in the morning I see the ritual burning of the rubish in the school)
How's that to educate the future generation on being green..dont start me on packaging here in LOS
today bought 3 apples in market,each apple shrink wrapped in flexi polystyrine sleeve then shrink wrapped in a polystrine tray,then pot in a polythene bag!
...sorry back to the subject!

Mesothelioma is a trully horrible type of cancer!

My brother died from it in his early 40's,It took his life within 2 years of diagnosis,
Even though he fought it and had every treatment available, It seems to take a hold
and its just a case of trying to prolong life as long as possible.

wifes uncle here in Thailand is a roofer/ceiling fitter,
so need to speak to him and find out what he is working with.

[BobHelm]

The Bangkok Post on line are currently running a 'yes/no' poll on 'Should Thailand ban the import / sales of asbestos?'.
I am glad to see that 88% are in favour of the ban, but must admit I am puzzled as to how/why 12% would not support it.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/poll/1563/sh ... -for-story

A click on the 'Story' link is worth a read...

Uran Kleosakul, marketing director of Oranvanich Co, the producer of Oran roof tiles, said that 70% of all roof tiles were made of asbestos

Horrific news, if actually true..

Thailand last year imported 69,000 tonnes of asbestos from Russia and Canada. Prices are currently around US$400 per tonne compared with $300 three to four years ago due to increased demand in China, Brazil and Russia.

In Thailand, about 90% of the asbestos sold goes into roof tiles and cement pipes. The rest goes into the production of brakes and clutches, vinyl floor tiles, gaskets and heat-insulating materials.