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e-Toolkit

Asbestos-related disease

A note from our CEO
Section I: Taking action to eliminate asbestos-related diseases
Actions leading to national bans on asbestos
Towards a global ban on asbestos
International bilateral & multilateral mechanisms
History of Mining, consumption production and use of asbestos
Transitioning to alternative non-asbestos materials
Proactive removal of ageing legacy asbestos materials
Section II: Country summaries, case studies and resources
Country summaries
Case studies
Research on ARDs
Section III: What asbestos is and the risks it poses
What asbestos is and how to identify it
Exposure pathways
Asbestos removal, management and disposal
Asbestos in fibres in drinking water
Public health risks from asbestos cement products
Section IV: Health impacts of exposure to asbestos
What are asbestos-related diseases
How are asbestos-related diseases diagnosed?
Can ARDs be treated?
Patient support, care and information
Reporting, coding and registration of ARDs

Non-occupational exposures

Wherever ACMs have been installed, their very presence creates an ongoing risk of exposure to asbestos and consequent ARD. Relatively high levels of exposure can occur during direct active disturbance to ACMs during remodelling of structures (10) or following natural disasters.

​It is very difficult to implement effective control measures in remodelling and disaster situations as the presence of ACMs may not have been identified and/or the implementation of effective control measures may hamper urgently required humanitarian works.

​In addition to intense exposure from active disturbance to ACMs, the weathering of installed asbestos cement roofing (ACR) results in ongoing emissions of asbestos into the environment and exposure to members of the public. The ongoing contamination of ambient air from the weathering of asbestos cement roofing was first demonstrated in 1979, and has been reported on many occasions since.

After Teichert 1983

Figure 3: After Teichert 1983. Graphic showing elevated asbestos fibre levels above an asbestos cement roof

In addition to weathering by wind erosion, significant quantities of respirable asbestos fibres are dispersed by runoff after rainfall events. This leads to local contamination of soils and hard surfaces, on drying fibres can be re-aerosolised from hard surface, while asbestos contaminated soil can be tracked indoors.

​Emissions of asbestos from weathering of asbestos cement roofing have been estimated for each administrative district in South Korea; and it is calculated that each year, such weathering releases almost a million tonnes of asbestos fibres into the environment.

​It is important to note that chrysotile fibres released by weathering has not been significantly altered, and in animal testing weathered chrysotile fibres from asbestos cement retain their carcinogenic potential.

​Precautionary Responses

​Research to date has demonstrated an increased risk of disease to residents likely to be affected by emissions from asbestos cement roofing. While some studies are complicated by the presence of other potential sources of exposure, given the demonstrated extent of environmental emissions of asbestos caused by the weathering of asbestos roofing and the absence of a verified threshold for ARD induction; it is biologically plausible that asbestos roofing can cause ARD in members of the public.

There appears to be limited opportunity to control the environmental emissions of asbestos roofing, and given the availability of alternative roofing materials a precautionary response would avoid using asbestos cement roofing.

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Factsheet: Asbestos Exposure pathways and significance

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