Chrysotile

The chrysotile , or " asbestos blanc" , is a variety of fibers of Amiante. It is one of polymorphic with curved layers of the serpentine , Silicate Minéral fibrous non flammable and imputrescible, flexible, resistant to the majority of the chemicals and which have a high breaking stress. This single combination of properties makes chrysotile an extremely useful matter which constituted, lasting of many decades, a principal component of the light reinforced cement products, materials of friction, joints and trimmings at high temperature and of a quantity of other applications. The chrysotile accounts for 94% of the worldwide market of the Amiante.

One has known chrysotile for more than 2.000 years. It was initially employed in fabrics of incineration, the wicks of oil lamps and in other textile matters. But it is only during the XIXe century that the extraction of chrysotile to business ends started in the Ural (Russia), in Italy and with the Canada.

Toxicity

Often confused with the other types of asbestos, the chrysotile can cause industrial diseases if it is misused. After an exposure prolonged to strong amounts, the chrysotile can cause asbestosis (asbestose) or the Lung cancer. It however is shown that the use of chrysotile only is not responsible for the Mésothéliome (Cancer of the plèvre).

Prohibition

About thirty country in the world prohibited the use of the asbestos chrysotile, of which France since 1997 because carcinogenic. In France, it is classified carcinogenic since 1977 and is prohibited since 1997. It is on the other hand used in an about sixty country to fill the requirements necessary in infrastructures, mainly the contribution out of drinking water and like construction material. In these countries, which use chrysotile according to the standards dictated by the convention of ILO on safety in the use of asbestos, the use of other more expensive products would not make it possible to fill the needs also effectively.

The International organization of work (ILO) proposed in 2006 a resolution recommending elimination of asbestos chrysotile in all its forms, but was not adopted by the Member States.

However, the chrysotile does not enter the list of dangerous substances of the Convention of Rotterdam, engaged by PNUE (Programme of the United Nations for the environment). The PNUE explained on October 15th, 2006 that the decision was pushed back in 2008 because of the opposition of the principal chrysotile producer countries: Canada, India, Russia and Kirghizstan.

The chrysotile producer countries are opposed to inclusion chrysotile in the list of 39 chemicals of industrial use, pesticides and pesticides preparations of the PNUE, all extremely dangerous and subjected to the “procedure of preliminary assent with full knowledge of the facts”. A red list on which the four other fibers of Amiante are reproduced.

The chrysotile is found in the center of a commercial war where holding of prohibition are mainly fiber producer countries of replacement, which are more expensive, less durable and whose harmlessness was not shown.

Quotations

  • “the absence of decision as for the inclusion of asbestos chrysotile poses a problem for all the developing countries which need to protect their fellow-citizens from the well-known risks this dangerous substance. ” Achim Steiner, executive director of PNUE (Program of the United Nations for the environment).

  • “At least 200.000 workmen will be killed by diseases related to asbestos before the proposal to register chrysotile on the list of the convention of Rotterdam can be again examined, in 2008” (Laurie Kazan Allen, of Ban Asbestos

  • “As opposed to what claims the eternal opponents of this fiber, the reasons which prevailed in 2004 not to include chrysotile with the list are always valid and were contradicted by no new scientific study. More still, the studies awaited for a long time and required by Canada on the harmlessness of fibers and substitute products on the human health are always made wait. In this context, it is completely reasonable to be opposed to inclusion chrysotile with the Procedure PEAK, Canada thus made well announce it” Clement Godbout, Institut of the chrysotile

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • PNUE (Program of the United Nations for the environment)
  • Ban Asbestos
  • Institute of the chrysotile (Organization gathering Québécois trade unions and producers)

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