Undeniable FACTS. about chrysotile

Undeniable FACTS abut chrystile

cntents Chrystile in the 21st Century Chrystile: A Natural Mineral Fibre Frm Asbests t Chrystile A Brief Histry f Chrystile and Amphible Cnsumptin The Many Uses f Chrystile Chrystile and Amphibles in Tday s Wrld PAGE 5 Scientific Facts abut Chrystile PAGE What Type f Asbests? The Dse Makes the Pisn Why chrystile is s different frm amphibles as far as health risk is cncerned? Is chrystile a threat t health? Chrystile-Free, But Nt Risk-Free Change in Regulatins: A Mre Reasnable Apprach Occupatinal Expsure t Chrystile: Facts Myths and Perceptins abut Chrystile PAGE The Evlutin f Knwledge The Western Wrld: A Different Issue The Use f Misleading Science: The 100, 000 Annual Death Myth The Anti-Asbests Lbby: Lking Out fr Yur Health r Their Wealth? Chrystile: An Essential Cmmdity Chrystile Prducts in the Develping Wrld Chrystile Cement is Prduced by Lw Energy-Cnsuming Technlgy Chrystile Cement has a Lng Useful Service Life Chrystile Cement is made frm Simple Starting Materials Chrystile Cement Presents a Relatively Lw Risk during its Manufacture Chrystile Cement Presents a Relatively Lw Risk when in Use PAGE PAGE 11 30 44 Chrystile Cement Presents a Relatively Lw Risk when Stred r Transprted, Prir t r after Use Chrystile Cement Cnstitutes a Relatively Lw Risk at Final Dispsal Site Trade Unin Psitins n Chrystile The Safe and Respnsible Use f Chrystile 52

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 4 Intrductin Thrughut the whle wrld, very few natural r synthetic substances have initiated as much debate as the use f chrystile. Very few prducts cntaining natural r man-made fibres, have been studied as clsely as the naturally ccurring asbests fibres. The evlutin f knwledge btained frm the thusands f published studies and reprts is impressive, especially in the last tw decades when advanced technlgy made it pssible t understand hw breathable fibres can affect the human bdy, in particular, which fibres and at what dse. Fr many years nw, we have witnessed a cmmercial war claiming t rely n scientific r technical facts. Mst f the time, the crusade against chrystile relies n media tactics that unfrtunately supprt ther interests than health. T ften, regardless f the scientific r technical data which supprts the safe use f chrystile, detractrs and activists simply play with peple s emtins. Since the chrystile debate centers n the health and safety f the general ppulatin, as well as the wrkers, it is then nt unusual t hear abut drastic asbests ban prpsals. This brchure is abut facts as ppsed t perceptins. While it cannt be as exhaustive as the thusands f scientific papers that have been written n this subject, it des attempt t give readers a cmprehensive verview f tday s chrystile.

Chrystile in the 21st Century in a few wrds Chrystile is a naturally ccurring fibrus silicate mineral which des nt burn r rt. It is fund thrughut the wrld like in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Eurpe, Kazakhstan, Russia, Suth Africa and the United States f America; It is pssible t trace written dcumentatin f the use f chrystile back t the days f the Rman Empire; It is resistant t mst chemicals, sluble in acid, it is flexible and pssesses high tensile strength; The wrd asbests is a cmmercial term t indicate any fibrus mineral with a fibrus frm. In fact, there are many types f asbests fibres which are divided int tw families: the serpentine and the amphibles; All the amphible mines, lcated mainly in Suth Africa and Australia, were clsed in the late 20th century; Bth types f asbests (serpentine and amphibles) shuld never be included in the same categry. Page 5 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Chrystile: A Natural Mineral Fibre Chrystile is a naturally ccurring fibrus silicate mineral which des nt burn r rt. It is fund thrughut the wrld, such as: Eurpe, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Suth Africa, the United States f America, etc. It is resistant t mst chemicals, sluble in acid, it is flexible and pssesses high tensile strength. This unique cmbinatin f extrardinary prperties makes chrystile an extremely useful material which has been marketed fr many decades. Chrystile has been used as a majr cmpnent in lightweight, reinfrced cement prducts, frictin materials and high temperature seals and gaskets, etc. Chrystile has been knwn fr ver 2000 years, being used initially fr burial clths, il lamp wicks and ther textiles. But it is nly in the 19th century that chrystile fibre was first mined cmmercially in Russia, Italy and Canada. Page 6

Frm Asbests t Chrystile Why d we refer t chrystile and nt t asbests? Because the wrd asbests is a generic wrd and cmmercial term t indicate any silicate, fibrus mineral with a fibrus frm. In fact, there are many types f asbests fibres which are divided int tw families: the serpentine and the amphibles. Except fr sharing the same cmmercial name asbests, being nn-flammable and having a fibrus nature, these tw families are very different. Their chemical cmpsitin, their prperties and industrial uses are drastically different frm ne family t the ther. Nt surprisingly, their dangerus and ptential adverse health effects are als radically different. In fact, the tw types f asbests (serpentine and amphibles) shuld never be included in the same categry. There is generally a cnsensus in the scientific cmmunity, as stated in the latest (2004) Wrld Health Organizatin (WHO) reprt, that serpentine and amphibles shuld always be clearly differentiated. Chrystile cmes frm the serpentine grup, whereas the ther cmmercially knwn fibre types, tremlite, amsite and crcidlite are frm the amphible grup. Page 7 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 8 A Brief Histry f Chrystile and Amphible Cnsumptin The wrd asbests cmes frm the Greek wrd meaning inextinguishable r indestructible. The name f chrystile, ne f the mst cmmn frms f asbests, is derived frm the Greek wrds chryss (gld) and tils (fibre) r gld fibre. It is pssible t trace written dcumentatin f the use f chrystile back t the Rman Empire. Hwever, evidence f the use f asbests in pttery and clgging f lg dwellings, dating back 3000 BC, has been fund frm archaelgical digs in Scandinavia. Chrystile was used by many different cultures fr hundreds f useful purpses. The use f chrystile fibres n a true industrial scale began in Italy, early in the 19th century with the develpment f textiles. By the end f the 19th century, significant chrystile depsits had been identified thrughut the wrld and explitatin had begun in Canada, Italy and Russia. Mining f amphibles (crcidlite) started in Suth Africa late in the 19th century. Right at the beginning f the 20th century, the wrld demand fr chrystile and amphible fibres grew spectacularly fr numerus applicatins, in particular fr thermal insulatin. The develpment f the Hatschek machine in 1904, fr the cntinuus fabricatin f sheets frm an asbests-cement cmpsite, als pened an imprtant field f industrial applicatin fr asbests fibres, as did the develpment f the autmbile industry fr asbests brakes, clutches, and gaskets. Wrld War II supprted the grwth f all types f asbests fibre prductin fr military applicatins, typically in thermal insulatin and fire prtectin. Lse asbests fibres, r frmulatins cntaining asbests fibres fr spray catings, were widely used in the cnstructin and shipyard industries fr fire prtectin and heat and sund insulatin. Such applicatins were later extended int the residential and industrial cnstructin several decades after WWII, particularly in the develpment f Nrth America and the recnstructin f Eurpe, where millins f tns f different types f asbests fibres were used.

The Many Uses f Chrystile The main prperties f chrystile fibres that can be explited in industrial applicatins are their thermal, electrical, and sund insulatin; nn flammability; matrix reinfrcement (cement, plastic, and resins); adsrptin capacity (filtratin, liquid sterilizatin); wear and frictin prperties (frictin materials); and chemical inertia (except in acids). These unique prperties have led t several majr classes f industrial prducts and applicatins. The reinfrcing prperties f chrystile fibres have been widely utilized in fibre-cement prducts, mstly by the cnstructin and waterwrks industries. Prducts such as bards, pipes, and sheets represent, by far, the largest wrldwide industrial cnsumptin f chrystile fibres, an estimated 80% f the market in 1988. With market changes, chrystile-cement prducts nw prbably accunt fr mre than 90% f ttal fibre sales. Finally, the cmbined reinfrcing effects and high adsrptin capacity f chrystile fibres were explited in a variety f applicatins t increase dimensinal stability, typically in vinyl r asphalt tiles and asphalt rad surfacing. In recent years, industrial applicatins invlve chrystile fibres bnded within an rganic r inrganic matrix. Page 9 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 10 Chrystile-cement prducts accunt fr the bulk f the wrld prductin. In the United States, the majr use is in rfing cmpunds (62%), fllwed by diaphragms in chlrine manufacturing. Small amunts f chrystile als are used in the manufacture f sme insulatin, wven and plastic prducts. Chrystile and amphible fibres als have been widely used in the fabricatin f papers and felts fr flring and rfing prducts, pipeline wrapping, electrical insulatin and textiles, cmprising yarn, thread, clth, tape, r rpe. They were als used in thermal and electrical insulatin and frictin prducts in brakes r clutch pads.

10 Scientific Facts abut Chrystile in a few wrds There is an verwhelming number f published data shwing that the mrtality experience f wrkers handling amphibles is much mre severe than that f wrkers expsed t chrystile nly; All chemical substances will exhibit a txic effect given a large enugh dse. If the dse is lw enugh, even a highly txic substance will cease t cause a harmful effect; Like all minerals and agents that can cause cancer the Internatinal Agency fr Research n Cancer has identified 417 agents, mixtures and expsures that are certainly, prbably r pssibly carcingenic t humans the risk is prprtinal t the expsure level; Lw expsures t chrystile d nt present a detectable r an unacceptable level f risk t health; Chrystile is cleared rapidly frm the lung. Recent animal experimentatins (2003 t 2006), perfrmed accrding t the mst stringent prtcls recgnized by the Eurpean Unin, shw that sn after chrystile fibres are inhaled, they are quickly cleared frm the lungs in a matter f abut 10 days. The amphible fibres remain in the lung fr perids up t a year r mre; These differences are fundamental in assessing health risk fr chrystile. Talking abut the health effect f asbests makes n mre sense than asking if metals present health risks. At lw level f expsure, sme d, thers dn t. It is the same with asbests fibres : recent updates f epidemilgical studies (fr chrystile) are cnsistent with a practical threshld level f expsure belw which n adverse effects have been detected; The fibres usually used t replace chrystile, such as cellulse, aramid fibres and ceramic fibre, are generally mre persistent in lung tissue and therefre ptentially mre hazardus t health; The U.S. Curt fund a ban f asbests-cntaining prducts unwarranted. Page 11 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 12 Chrystile and Amphibles in Tday s Wrld Current asbests prducts and uses are as different frm the ld nes as night and day. Tday, the main type f asbests extracted, exprted and used is chrystile. The amphible mines, lcated mainly in Suth Africa and Australia, were clsed in the late 20th century. In additin, the industry nw nly markets dense and nn-friable materials in which the chrystile fibre is encapsulated in a matrix f either cement r resin. These prducts include chrystile-cement building materials, frictin prducts, gaskets and certain plastics. The ld prducts, principally lw-density insulatin materials, were very dusty and crumbled under hand pressure. Uncntrlled wrk cnditins, wrk with friable insulatin materials and the extensive use f amphible asbests fibres in the past, have resulted in asbests-related diseases. Unlike tday s prducts, ld prducts ften cntained amphible fibres (crcidlite and amsite) r a man-made mix f chrystile and amphibles. These prducts are still present in the Western wrld, and precautinary measures must be implemented t prtect everyne against expsure t excessive airbrne asbests dust. Page 13 Times have changed: the type f fibres and prducts marketed are different, and dust cntrl technlgy has evlved. The use f lw-density friable insulatin materials has been ablished, and expsure limits fr chrystile are hundreds f times lwer than wrkers levels f expsures f the past.

What d we knw tday abut chrystile and all the asbests fibres? In fact, we knw many things, frm their chemical cmpsitin, their prperties and their ptential health effects n humans. Because all asbests fibres have been accused - wrngfully r with reasn f being respnsible fr the death f many wrkers. Many scientists frm all ver the wrld have brught t light many nuances. Cnsequently, the understanding f the mechanism and cnditins that prvke respiratry diseases after the inhalatin f natural r synthetic fibres are well-knwn and dcumented. There is verwhelming published data shwing that the mrtality rate experience f wrkers handling amphibles is much higher than that f wrkers expsed t chrystile fibres nly. Page 13 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 14 The Dse Makes the Pisn In principle, a substance can prduce the harmful effect assciated with its txic prperties nly if it reaches a susceptible bilgical system within the human bdy in a sufficient cncentratin (a high enugh dse). The txic effect f a substance increases as the expsure (r dse) t the susceptible bilgical system increases. Fr all chemicals there is a dse respnse curve, r a range f dses that result in a graded effect between the extremes f n effect and 100% respnse. All chemical substances will exhibit a txic effect given a large enugh dse. If the dse is lw enugh, even a highly txic substance will nrmally cease t cause a harmful effect. The txic ptency f a chemical is thus ultimately defined by the dse the amunt f the chemical that will prduce a specific respnse in a specific bilgical system. All substances are pisns; there is nne which is nt a pisn. The right dse differentiates a pisn - Paracelsus (1493-1541)

That is t say, substances ften cnsidered txic can be benign r even beneficial in small dses, and cnversely an rdinarily benign substance, like water, can be deadly if ver-cnsumed. Like all minerals and agents that can cause cancer the Internatinal Agency fr Research n Cancer has identified 417 agents, mixtures and expsures that are certainly, prbably r pssibly carcingenic t humans the risk is prprtinal t the expsure level. Gd cmmn sense will tell yu that many f these substances have a risk f causing diseases nly if the expsure is abundant r fr a lng perid f time. It is the case fr numerus prducts we encunter in ur everyday ccupatinal r envirnmental life. Fr example, let s mentin: alchlic beverages, manufacture f glass cntainers, cffee, diesel and gasline engine exhaust, indr emissins frm husehld cmbustin f wd and cal, ccupatinal expsure as hairdresser r barber, nickel cmpunds, mst insecticides, ccupatinal expsure as a painter, certain kinds f salted fish, slar radiatin, tbacc smking and tbacc smke, wd dust and x-rays, etc. As we can see, facts are irrefutable: asbests use withut distinguishing the fibre types (chrystile and amphibles) which increased in the middle f the 20th century, created the prblem. During this era, prtectin measures and apprpriate wrk practices fr emplyees, ensuring them a healthy wrking envirnment, were neglected and, t ften, practically nnexistent. Page 15 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 16 The wrkers extracting and transfrming the fibre, installing and maintaining prducts cntaining asbests were then expsed, fr many years, t high dust cncentratins and this, withut apprpriate respiratry prtective devices. Inhaled in large quantities ver lng perids f time, asbests fibres cumulate in the lungs and exceed the capacity f the bdy t naturally eliminate them. This is fllwed by a gradual diminutin f the crrective actin f the lungs. This phenmenn is called asbestsis. It might eventually prvke lung cancer r mesthelima anther kind f cancer generally assciated with asbests. Hwever, this bilgical prcess extends ver a perid f years (smetimes up t 40 years): this is called the latency perid f the disease.

Latency It is, because f this latency perid that it is still pssible tday t diagnse new cases f respiratry diseases, and this, in spite f all the imprvements cncerning the expsure f wrkers t fibres in the wrkplace. Alarming reprts f the rise f diseases linked t asbests (at large) have triggered intense cntrversy in Eurpe, especially in nrthern cuntries which, befre the 1980 s, were big users f friable asbests insulatin and, t ften, f amphible fibres. In a nutshell, here is the genesis f the plemic cncerning the use f all kinds f asbests fibres, including chrystile, the ne that presents n real significant health risk when used in a respnsible way. Page 17 17 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS As far as Health Risk is Cncerned, why is Chrystile s Different frm Amphibles? There is grwing scientific evidence demnstrating that asbests inducedlung cancer, such as asbestsis, is a threshld phenmenn. Lw expsures t chrystile d nt present a detectable risk t health. Since ttal dse ver time determines the likelihd f the ccurrence and prgressin f disease, studies suggest that the risk f an adverse utcme may be lw, even if high expsures are experienced fr a shrt duratin. When any natural r man-made fibrus respirable substances are inhaled, mst fibres are expelled, but sme can becme ldged in the lungs and remain there thrughut life. Fibres can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammatin. Severe scarring and inflammatin can affect breathing and increase the risk f lung cancer. Fast remval f a fibre frm lungs decreases the risk f fibre-induced health effects. The ability f a substance t persist in the lung, in spite f the lung s physilgical clearance mechanisms and envirnmental cnditins, is knwn as bipersistence. It is generally agreed that the durability f a respirable fibre is a majr factr fr the characterizatin f ptential adverse health effects. Fr example, the Eurpean Unin specifies in Directive 97/69/EC n the Classificatin, Packaging and Labelling f Dangerus Substances, that a bipersistence test must be undertaken t evaluate a fibre classificatin as a carcingen. Chrystile is cleared rapidly frm the lung. Recent animal experimentatins (2003 t 2006, in Brazil, Canada and the USA), perfrmed accrding t the mst stringent prtcls recgnized by the Eurpean Unin, shw that sn after chrystile fibres are inhaled, they are quickly cleared frm the lungs in a matter f abut 10 days. Hwever, amphibles, which resist the acidic envirnment f the lungs, are nt cleared as rapidly. The amphible fibres may remain in the lungs fr perids up t a year r mre. Page 18

T that effect, the animal experimentatins thus bring rbust supprt t many epidemilgical bservatins published in the past. They als supprt the mre recent benchmark publicatin by Hdgsn and Darntn (2000), shwing that amphibles are 100 times mre ptent than chrystile. In fact, chrystile has a much lwer bipersistency than mst f the ther industrial fibres (sme cellulses, ceramic fibres, aramid, rck wl and glass wl). Evidence frm mrbidity, mrtality and lung burden studies supprts the cncept f a much lwer pathgenic ptential fr chrystile cmpared t amphibles. There are n less than 25 reprts, frm human studies, published in the last 25 years, pinting t the definite differences in bilgical effects and ptencies f chrystile and amphible asbests varieties. One f the mst imprtant studies in terms f chrt dimensins was dne by Liddell, McDnald & McDnald in 1997. The results have shwn n evidence f increased cancer risk frm chrystile expsure at presently regulated ccupatinal expsure levels (~1 f/ ml, 8-hur time-weighted average), as recmmended by the Grup f Experts cnvened by the WHO in Oxfrd (1989). Page 19 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 20 Is Chrystile Really a Threat t Health? These differences are fundamental in assessing the health risk f chrystile. Talking abut the health effects f asbests makes n mre sense than asking if metals present health risks. At lw levels f expsure, sme d, thers dn t. It is the same fr asbests fibres. Regarding chrystile, little excess lung cancer is expected frm lw expsure level (WHO, 2004). Whereas amphible fibres present a serius health risk because f its high bipersistence. Recent updates f epidemilgical studies are cnsistent and cncur t a practical threshld level f expsure belw which n adverse effects are detectable. The majr difference between chrystile and amphibles is related t its chemical cmpsitin, its acid-resistant prperties and its effects n health. In cntrast with amphibles, chrystile des nt persist in the lungs after inhalatin; it is quickly eliminated by the metablism. A prlnged expsure t high cncentratins f chrystile fibres, namely 20 years and mre, is required fr a clinical manifestatin f pulmnary damage t appear. In the past, such high expsures were frequent; it is n lnger the case tday. On the ther hand, because f their txicity and their high bipersistency, amphibles are mainly respnsible fr pulmnary diseases caused even after a shrt r a mderate expsure. Tday, chrystile is the nly asbests fibre cmmercialized under an efficient respnsible-use prgram.

The adverse health effects due t high expsures f undifferentiated asbests fibres shuld be attributed t the past, mainly because f very high expsures f amphible fibres. In Eurpe and Nrth America, many traditinal applicatins, such as insulatin, called fr a mix f chrystile and amphibles. Buildings and ships insulatin were installed by means f pulverizatin f a mixture f chrystile and amsite; and pipe lagging and large diameter asbests-cement pipes required the use f crcidlite. This is frtunately n lnger the case tday. The health risks assciated with chrystile expsure cncern principally the wrkplace. Hwever, the risks fr the general ppulatin, if there are any, are generally belw detectin limits. With the implementatin f a respnsible-use prgram, maintenance and necessary precautins taken, fibre emissins frm mdern, highdensity chrystile prducts, such as frictin and chrystile cement materials, are minimal and d nt cnstitute a measurable risk t the general ppulatin, t the wrkers nr t the envirnment. Regarding asbests-related diseases, the fllwing infrmatin is prvided, based n the much larger number f diseases bserved amng wrkers with ther fibres. First, peple wh were diagnsed with asbests-related diseases were expsed t the mre bipersistent amphible types r a mixture f chrystile and amphibles. Secnd, chrystile has been used cmmercially fr ver a century, ften at high expsure levels befre the 1960 s, while alternative fibres are f recent use. Third, with tday s wrking cnditins using exclusively chrystile fibres in highdensity materials, wet prcess system and mdern technlgy, pulmnary diseases linked t fibre expsure shuld be eliminated. Careful cnsideratin f all the facts yields ne and nly ne cnclusin: cntrlled-use is the regulatry plicy f chice rather than a cmprehensive prduct ban, nt nly fr chrystile, but als fr mst ther natural and man-made fibres. Page 21 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 22 Chrystile-Free, But Nt Risk-Free The alarmist psitins taken by certain Eurpean gvernment authrities regarding chrystile encuraged many cmpanies t transfer t substitute prducts. This substitutin, hwever, was made mre in rder t give an impressin f safety and cncern fr wrkers health. Mrever, that thse same industries and gvernments avided using chrystile in many prducts in favur f untested substitute fibres shuld be wrrying. In 1993, a grup f experts, cnvened by the Wrld Health Organizatin (WHO), issued Envirnmental Health Criteria 151, which states that all respirable and bipersistent fibres must be tested t check their txicity and carcingenicity. In fact, recent studies have shwn that many fibres used t replace chrystile in numerus prducts may be as hazardus as r even mre hazardus than the latter: this is ntably the case fr sme cellulses, fibreglass, rck wls, refractry ceramic fibres and aramid fibres. Again, in 1993, the Internatinal Prgram n Chemical Safety (IPCS) explicitly recmmended that expsure t any respirable and durable fibre shuld be cntrlled t the same extent as chrystile. This has still nt happened. In additin t the health prblems linked t their handling, many chrystile-free frictin materials may have inferir physical and technical characteristics. Despite higher manufacturing csts than chrystile-cntaining prducts and, despite years f technlgical adjustments and develpment, substitute fibre-based frictin materials still pse perfrmance prblems fr certain types f mtr vehicles; their technlgy is nt always up t date, resulting t ften, in additinal risk fr wrkers.

In several cuntries like Chile, England, Italy and France, chrystile free prducts have been sld using smear campaigns against chrystile, resulting in its prhibitin; thereby pening up the market t new lcally made prducts and substances fr which many technical prblems are surfacing as their use becmes mre widespread. The replacement fibres usually, such as sme cellulses, aramid and ceramic fibres, are generally mre persistent in lung tissue and therefre ptentially mre hazardus t health than chrystile. Nw, these same cuntries that have pted fr the replacement market, are pressing ther natins t fllw in their same path. By prhibiting the use f chrystile under the pretext f prtecting wrkers, there is a real pssibility f creating the reverse effect by prmting the industrial develpment f sme unregulated fibres that are ptentially mre hazardus t the health f wrkers. Shuld ther cuntries blindly fllw this rute? We dn t think s. Page 23 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Substituting Chrystile In the United States, explding brake drums n heavy trucks have caused numerus highway fatalities. Diagnses f truck brake drums in the past few years shw that the rupture is ften linked t a defective brake she. In additin, a study by the EPA and the American Sciety fr Mechanical Engineers shws that it is dangerus t install nn-asbests brake linings n cars initially designed with linings cntaining asbests. Thrugh the years, chrystile-cntaining brake shes and linings, have prven their technical efficiency. Page 24 It takes up t 50 different substances t replace the varius grades f chrystile fibre used in the gasket industry. Develpment f these substances and their industrial applicatins invlves very cstly research fr the industry, and hence, increased csts t cnsumers. Such a cmpsitin may result in sudden rupture and shattering f the gasket, particularly in high temperature, high pressure applicatins. In additin, it requires mre frequent inspectins than thse usually freseen fr chrystile-based gaskets which were much mre resistant. Substituting chrystile by ther industrial fibres is technically nt impssible. Since several Eurpean cuntries have demanded imprts f prducts that are free f chrystile, manufacturers have develped prductin prcesses that use ne r mre alternative prducts. First f all, finished prducts manufactured withut chrystile are a lt mre expensive and ften f lwer quality than thse cntaining chrystile. Many f them have nt been scientifically recgnized as less hazardus t health. If the Eurpean and ther cuntries markets can allw themself the luxury f using mre expensive, less durable and ften unregulated prducts, it is their business, but this fact shuld be a matter f cncern t all and certainly nt an example t fllw.

Change in Regulatins: A Mre Ratinal Apprach Reacting in panic and succumbing t the pressures f the lbbies, sme gvernments hastily adpted laws prhibiting the use, withut distinctin, f all asbests fibres. It is particularly the case fr the Eurpean Unin states, but this als happened sme time befre in the United States. This cuntry (USA) t date remains the mst elquent case f excessive and inapprpriate prpsed ban which was reversed by a Circuit Curt, faced with an absence f justificatin f the regulatin. In the mid-1980 s, public panic ver asbests in buildings - which was later discvered t have been unwarranted but which prmpted the U.S. Envirnmental Prtectin Agency (EPA) t prpse a ban n mst asbests-cntaining prducts. EPA s prpsal resulted in a massive cmpilatin f data n the benefits f asbests in many prducts, as well as the ptential risk fr human expsure. Based n this cmprehensive recrd, the U.S. Curt f Appeals fund such a ban unwarranted because: N significant human expsures t asbests fibres wuld ccur if the prducts were prduced and used under cntrlled cnditins; Substitutes fr asbests-cntaining prducts themselves psed ptential human health risks that culd be mre significant than any ptential risks frm asbests; Asbests-cntaining prducts ffered significant benefits nt ffered by substitute prducts. The U.S. Curt f Appeals underlined that ver the next 13 years after its decisin, the ppulatin culd expect mre than a dzen deaths frm ingested tthpicks, this is mre than twice as many deaths as the EPA was hping t prevent with its US$ 500 millin ban n asbests (all fibre types) pipes, shingles and rf catings. In fact, with tday s measures implemented in the wrkplace and the lw risk f chrystile fibres, prhibiting the use f chrystile fibres wuld prbably save n human life. 24 Page 25 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Mre recently, in the United Kingdm, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recmmended a revisin t the regulatins relating t chrystile-cntaining textured decrative catings cmmnly referred t under their cmmercial name, Artex. This prduct, similar t chrystile-cement, is very ppular in the U.K. and due t a strict regulatin f the Eurpean Unin, was cnsidered as a dangerus prduct. Health and Safety Labratry (HSL) carried ut extensive tests n Artex shwing that it pses n measureable risk t health. Page 26

Occupatinal Expsure t Chrystile: Facts T cmply with the internatinal standards, like ILO Cnventin 162 n the Use f Asbests and the WHO Oxfrd Scientific Meeting Recmmendatins, the vast majrity f factries where chrystile is used are submitted t a peridic cntrl f the airbrne dust cncentratin. This sampling is dne either by the industry, a gvernment agency, industrial hygienists and/r the wrkers representatives. The results are analysed and verified by a qualified labratry. In 2006, a survey was undertaken in 47 industries, frm 12 cuntries, prducing r using chrystile in their manufacturing prcess. This represents 12,000 wrkers. Overall, withut distinctin f specific activities, almst all wrkers (99.8%) were benefiting frm a clean wrking envirnment where the airbrne dust was belw the 1 fibre/ml standard recmmended by natinal authrities and the WHO. Very few industries can bast f such a remarkable achievement in ccupatinal hygiene! Page 27 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Myths and Perceptins abut Chrystile in a few wrds Page 28 It is agreed that asbests is ne f the mst studied substance; The imprvements in bth the fibre extractin prcesses and the prducts manufacturing tk many years t be established and with the fact that diseases assciated t high dust expsure culd take up t 40 years t develp human perceptins were then assciated with a natural resurce that cntinues t cause deaths (latency perid), even if apprpriate measures are nw in place; The latest WHO reprt, published in 2004, clearly differentiates serpentine and amphibles; Cncerning the very existence f a threshld, while there is n cnsensus abut the level at which it is established, the scientific cmmunity recgnizes that a threshld des exist.; By banning a prduct instead f regulating its use, agencies are sending an inapprpriate message that can lead t dramatic reverse effects; Tday, there are mre than 200,000 asbests claims pending and 100,000 new claims filed in 2003, chking state and federal curts. Wh is filing the majrity f these claims? Accrding t a recent estimate, peple wh have n physical impairment accunt fr abut 90% f annual claims; The 100,000 death estimate is established frm a cmbined relative risk fr asbests, therefre attributing a mrtality rati frm expsure t amphibles t wrkers wrking with chrystile. It is as lgical as saying that a mix f water and pisn wuld kill peple; half f them frm the ingesting the pisn, the ther half frm water;

in a few wrds In 1990, the U.S. EPA issued the Green Bk, which said asbests in schls and ffices presented a lw risk. It nted that imprper asbests remval culd increase expsure by stirring up dust unnecessarily; British clumnists Christpher Bker and Richard Nrth (Scared t Death: Frm BSE t Glbal Warming: Why Scares are Csting Us the Earth, 2007) demnstrate links between three grups that seem n first sight t have nthing in cmmn : the lucrative plaintiff lawyers in the United States wh were able t claim billins f dllars frm the American bankrupt manufacturers and insurance cmpanies the cntractrs wh lbby in the United Kingdm fr a legislatin t frce the useless and expensive remval f asbests material in huses, and the Internatinal Ban Asbests Secretariat rganizatin. Page 29 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 30 The Evlutin f Knwledge It is agreed that asbests is ne f the mst studied substances. Even if there is n cnsensus regarding the fibre expsure level that can cause a pulmnary fibrsis, there is a general agreement n certain realities that were demnstrated, many times, in a txiclgical and epidemilgical manner. It is true that the early scientific reprts were alarming. It is imprtant t nte that, at this time in histry, the wrking cnditins fr asbests handlers were unacceptable. First, a large amunt f amphibles were used ften mixed with chrystile. Secnd, respiratry prtective devices fr wrkers were nn existent r nt available in all factries prducing r using fibres. As the imprvements in bth the fibre extractin prcesses and the prducts manufacturing tk many years t be established and with the fact that diseases assciated t high dust expsure culd take up t 40 years t develp human perceptins were then assciated with a natural resurce that cntinues t cause deaths (latency perid), even if apprpriate measures are nw in place. Due t the latency perid, cases f cancer r asbestsis bserved tday result frm past wrking cnditins that n lnger exist. There are many scientific studies demnstrating the effects f the varius asbests fibres n health they are well-knwn and widely published. The cnfusin purpsely encuraged by ppnents t the safe-use f chrystile still cntinues despite the factual infrmatin readily available everywhere.

Numerus studies, made ver the past several decades, relate t the imprtance f fibre dimensins (length and diameter) as prerequisites fr bilgical ptency, since these tw parameters are related t respirability. Hwever, new evidence published ver the last 10 years has cme frm investigatins using mdern techniques, in particular frm mineral analyses perfrmed n lung tissue, als knwn as lung burden studies. As a result, an additinal parameter f fibrus materials is nw universally recgnized as f paramunt imprtance fr assessing the pathlgical ptential f inhaled particles: durability. Standard Mrtality Rati The standard mrtality rati (SMR) is the rati f the number f deaths bserved in the study grup r ppulatin t the number that wuld be expected if the study ppulatin had the same specific rates as the standard ppulatin. An SMR f 1.0 implies that the rates are the same fr the ppulatin f interest and the standard ppulatin. The 2004 Wrld Health Organizatin reprt n asbests fibres estimates a SMR f 1.04 fr chrystile. This number is based upn expsures as they ccured 30 t 50 years ag. The same reprt stated that little excess lung cancer is expected frm lw expsure levels. Even at a level f expsure that n lnger ccurs, serpentine is less carcingenic than arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, diesel exhaust, nickel and silica. The decisin whether t regulate r t ban a prduct must be based n scientific reality, nt n perceptins r t please interests. Sme 100 ther prducts and industrial prcesses are recgnized as carcingenic t humans by the Wrld Health Organizatin, but they are nt banned - they are used carefully. Page 31 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 32 The scientific cmmunity has put its expertise at wrk t determine circumstances under which fibre inhalatin wuld result in prfessinal diseases and thus, demnstrating a relatin between massive expsure t asbests fibres and wrkers health-related prblems. Durability is this characteristic that varies widely amngst different respirable particles; Durability is likely related t the different chemical structures and crystalline habits f mineral particles; Durability will determine the extent f a key bilgical phenmenn: bipersistence. Bipersistence can be described as a perid f time fr inhaled particles t persist in the lungs befre they are eventually disslved r therwise cleared. Bipersistence studies have been carried ut n a number f different respirable particles. It has becme clear that there are vast differences amngst varius respirable fibrus materials presently used by industry, ranging frm very shrt persistence (lw durability) t practically indefinite persistence (very high durability). It is nw generally agreed that adverse effects are assciated with fibres retained in the lung fr lng perids rather than with thse that are cleared rapidly. Regarding asbests fibres, it was cnfirmed repeatedly that chrystile displays lw bipersistence, as ppsed t the amphible asbests fibre types displaying exceedingly lng bipersistence. In additin, varius types f glass fibres als have different slubility and bipersistence characteristics accrding t their respective manufacturing prcesses and chemical cmpsitins. A similar bservatin was reprted fr Refractry Ceramic Fibres (RCF) and a series f Man-Made Mineral Fibres (MMMF).

Mre recently, the multi-centre case-cntrl study in Eurpe by Carel R et al (2006) has shwn that ccupatinal expsure t asbests des nt appear t cntribute t the lung cancer burden in men in Central and Eastern Eurpe while in cntrast, the lung cancer risk in the UK is increased fllwing expsure t asbests. The authrs suggest that differences in fibre types and circumstances f expsure may explain their results. Cncerning the very existence f a threshld, while there is n cnsensus abut the level at which it is established, the scientific cmmunity generally recgnizes that a threshld des, in fact, exist. Chrts representing tens f thusands f wrkers expsed nly t chrystile at levels f cncentratin lwer than 2 fibres/cm3 (twice tday s permissible level in the wrkplace) have been studied and clearly d nt shw an inrdinate increase in disease in relatin t the general ppulatin. Industrial diseases related t the use f asbests are therefre the result f uncntrlled and prlnged expsure t chrystile r expsure t amphibles. Page 33 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS The Western Wrld: A Different Issue While several cuntries have adpted regulatins based n sund science, sme influential natins have let perceptins r sme ther interests guide their apprach n the use f chrystile. In these cuntries, the dramatic number f asbests-related ccupatinal diseases, due t the past misuse, and a strng litigatin lbby have led sme regulatry agencies, mainly in Eurpe, t adpt a very restrictive regulatry apprach r a ban f asbests, including chrystile. This resulted in the expansin f the substitute fibres in prducts industry. In this area f ccupatinal health, regulatry agencies in all cuntries have the respnsibility t set wrkplace expsure limits, which will reduce the risk t wrkers t the lwest pssible level. Hwever, this new industry has nt always been subject t such restrictive regulatins. It is difficult t understand why the anti-asbests lbby is silent n this subject. Sme cuntries, while in the prcess f frmulating s-called revised recmmended asbests standards, are still using scientific reviews that are far ut f date. This is particularly unfrtunate, as much new evidence has accumulated ver the last few years, with the resulting frequent publicatins, nt nly f scientific papers, but als f editrials and cmmentaries inspired by the need t revisit the issue f risks related t asbests. By banning a prduct instead f regulating its use, agencies are sending an inapprpriate message that can lead t dramatic reverse effects. First, it implicitly sends the signal that unregulated, r lightly regulated prducts, can be used withut prper precautin. Secnd, it prepares the grund fr verreacting, such as the systematic remval where risk is nnexistent. Third, the utlandish cst f such an apprach has t be cnsidered. The case f the shameless wasting f financial resurces in the United Kingdm ver the remval f chrystile-cement prducts is striking: it was estimated that implementing this regulatin wuld cst arund 8 billin punds. In the United States, frm the 1950 s t the end f the 1970 s, millins f wrkers were expsed t varius types f asbests fibres n the jb. In the vast majrity f cases, these wrkers are nt necessarily candidates fr health prblems frm their ccupatinal expsure t airbrne fibres. Unfrtunately, it is nt the case fr thse wh suffered high expsures t amphibles. Frm the first wave f knwn Page 34

injuries, a tide f asbests persnal injury litigatins fllwed, reaching the curts in the 1970s. The pace f these lawsuits picked up greatly during the 1980s and 1990s. Tday, there are mre than 200,000 asbests claims pending and 100,000 new claims filed in 2003, chking state and federal curts. Wh is filing the majrity f these claims? Accrding t a recent estimate, peple wh have n physical impairment accunt fr abut 90% f annual claims. Mre than 8,000 cmpanies have been dragged int this litigatin, frm the Frtune 100 (the largest cmpanies in the United States) t small, family wned businesses. Fr thirty years these cmpanies have been paying an asbests trt tax, expending an estimated $70 billin. Nearly 60% f that mney went t the asbests trial bar, defence lawyers and curt csts. Cmpanies are ging bankrupt, American wrkers are lsing jbs, a handful f persnal injury lawyers are running away with billins f dllars - while the truly sick are nt always getting cmpensated fairly and efficiently - ften times getting pennies n the dllar fr their injury. There are clearly vast persnal interests invlved that are nt related t health issues and nt much t d with plaintiffs rights. In reality it is a big mess. Page 35 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 36 The Use f Misleading Science: The 100 000 Annual Death Myth The press regularly publishes a title that is as alarming as prvcative: Asbests kills 100,000 wrkers wrldwide annually. This statement is cnstantly used by prmters f a ttal ban f asbests. Hw can this statement be true, knwing that tday s expsures are minimal and d nt shw any demnstrable risk when chrystile is used prperly? Knwing the fundamental differences between the several asbests fibre types, stating that Asbests kills 100,000 wrkers every year is nt nly unscientific; it is a grss exaggeratin and unfair. What wuld be the basis t affirm that chemical kills x wrkers r metals are respnsible fr the death f x wrkers? Nnsense. Chemical and metals include a wide variety f prducts with different prperties, uses and health risk. It is the same with asbests. There is n justificatin t put in the same basket the health risk f being expsed t all types f asbests fibres. There is n reasn t accept such dangerus extraplatin. In the review f many scientific studies abut wrkers expsed t varius types f asbests, Hdgsn and Darntn (2000) estimated that the risk fr lung cancer frm wrking with amphibles is 100 times what it is fr chrystile. In fact, the 100,000 death estimate is established frm a cmbined relative risk fr asbests, therefre attributing a mrtality rati frm expsure t amphibles t wrkers wrking with chrystile. It is as lgical as

saying that a mix f water and pisn wuld kill peple; half f them frm ingesting the pisn, the ther half frm water! Mrever, the 100,000 deaths estimate is a pure and simple extraplatin. It des nt take int accunt the fact that expsure levels have dramatically decreased in the last decades and that the use f chrystile in the wrld has radically changed in the past years. S, if expsure t chrystile des nt present a significant health risk, and if lw expsure levels d nt present an excess f lung cancer, where des the 100,000 annual deaths figure cme frm? The latest Plicy Paper circulated by WHO activists, at the end f 2007 makes n reference t the fact that nt nly are expsure levels 100 times lwer than they were previusly in peak asbests usage. It makes n reference t the fact that the dangerus frms f asbests fibres have been eliminated frm tday s prducts and that safe wrk practices and mdern technlgy are in place tday. Estimates shuld therefre be crrected and the frmula adjusted fr this and all parameters re-calculated. In fact, 90% f the asbests expsure yields n measurable future deaths (expsure t chrystile), with nly 10% f asbests expsure (the amphible fibres with their half life f up t 1,000 days) cntributing t the future risk f lung cancer. Thse wh affirm that asbests will kill 100,000 peple each year have a mral bligatin t revise their predictins n future deaths. Whilst prjectins remain s heavily inflated, it allws sme individuals and media, t cnvert cncern ver this fictinal epidemic int capital. Hysteria sells! Page 37 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Schls and Office Buildings as Seen by the EPA Page 38 In the 1980 s, the U.S. EPA established a mdel fr asbests related diseases in relatin with the number f wrkers expsed. This mdel gave dramatic numbers, leading t a series f measures that were nt related t the nature f the prblem. The U.S. Cngress passed the Asbests Hazard Emergency Respnse Act (AHERA) in 1986. It rdered schl districts t lcate all asbests in their buildings and create a plan t manage it. It als impsed tight regulatins n asbests remval, raising csts and ensuring that the image f asbests remval wrkers in spacesuits wuld keep fears high. AHERA requirements have cst an estimated $50 billin ver the past 20 years. It was fund that the absence f excess lung cancers amng residents f chrystile mining twns implies a risk at least 15 times smaller than that predicted with the EPA mdel, and the number f mesthelimas bserved is at least 20 times smaller than that predicted by the EPA mdel. In 1990, the EPA issued the Green Bk, which said asbests in schls and ffices presented a lw risk. It als nted that imprper asbests remval culd increase expsure by stirring up dust unnecessarily. Hwever, the EPA has never sustained an effrt t reverse the multibillin-dllar asbests remval effrt that its early prnuncements sparked. The experts refuse t face the fear created by the alleged health tragedy that befell asbests wrkers real and prjected numbers and the multibillin-dllar lawsuits that fllwed have verwhelmed the scientific evidence.

The Anti-Asbests Lbby: Lking Out fr Yur Health r Their Wealth? Still tday and this, in spite f studies prving that it can be used safely, sme peple still preach fr the ban f chrystile. They say, t wh wants t hear it, that chrystile kills thusands f peple, that there is n safe expsure level and that safer substitutes are available. They hwever cnveniently frget t tell the histry behind their headline, that is t say the stry where it is explained that chrystile was ften mixed with amphibles - large fibres respnsible fr cancer and mesthelima - r was used, in the past, in a negligent manner expsing the wrkers t cluds f dust. Page 39 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 40 Refusing Science, Maintaining the Fear The glbal ban asbests mvement is implicitly supprting the industries that prduce alternative fibres and prducts. They are nt withut knwing that substitutes t chrystile, t ften have nt been scientifically prven as less harmful r safer than chrystile fibres are. This must be f great cncern t all. N ne shuld frget that the smear campaign against chrystile is very prfitable fr sme. In additin by encuraging manufacturers f substitutes, it is implicitly a supprt t the lucrative asbests remval industry. Nt t mentin that sme f the alternatives fr chrystile, such as ductile irn and PVC pipes s heavily prmted are als classified as human carcingens. These activities are nt always dedicated t the laudable bjectives f imprving the health and safety and living cnditins f peple.

Bad Threesme In a remarkable bk published in 2007 (Scared t Death: Frm BSE t Glbal Warming: Why Scares are Csting Us the Earth), British writers Christpher Bker and Richard Nrth demnstrate links between three grups that seem at first sight t have nthing in cmmn: the lucrative plaintiff lawyers in the United States; the cntractrs wh lbby in the United Kingdm fr a legislatin t frce the useless and expensive remval f asbests material in huses; and, the Internatinal Ban Asbests Secretariat rganizatin. Page 41 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 42 Chrystile: An Essential Cmmdity in a few wrds Chrystile cement prducts are still mst cst effective fr water supply, sewage, irrigatin and drainage systems, husing fr urban and rural areas in develping cuntries; It is estimated that mre than 90% f the chrystile used tday is intended fr chrystile cement prducts; Cmpared t prducts cming frm the petrchemical r metallurgical industry, chrystile-cement prducts cnsume much less energy. In fact, the largest prprtin f energy cnsumptin ges int the prductin f cement; The resistance f chrystile-cement prducts t crrsin, t ultra-vilet rays and, ntably, t rt is remarkable and unique; Chrystile-cement prducts are by definitin resistant t heat and fire. In fact, they may actually prevent r minimize the spread f cnflagratin; Chrystile-cement waste dispsal is inexpensive, simple and recgnized practices are well knwn. They are made f naturally ccurring material which returns t the envirnment after use.

Chrystile Prducts in the Emerging Wrld In a wrld f unprecedented wealth, almst 2 millin children die each year fr want f clean water and adequate sanitatin. Millins f wmen and yung girls are frced t spend hurs cllecting and carrying water, restricting their pprtunities and their chices. And water-brne infectius diseases are hlding back pverty reductin and ecnmic grwth in sme f the wrld s prest cuntries. Beynd the husehld, cmpetitin fr water as a prductive resurce is increasing. Symptms f that cmpetitin include the cllapse f water-based eclgical systems, declining river flws and large-scale grundwater depletin. Cnflicts ver water are increasing within cuntries, with the rural pr lsing ut. The ptential fr tensins between cuntries is als grwing, thugh there are large ptential human develpment gains frm increased cperatin. Page 43 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS The Human Develpment Reprt cntinues t frame debates n sme f the mst pressing challenges facing humanity. Human Develpment Reprt 2006: Investigates the underlying causes and cnsequences f a crisis that leaves 1.2 billin peple withut access t safe water and 2.6 billin withut access t sanitatin; Argues fr a cncerted drive t achieve water and sanitatin fr all thrugh natinal strategies and a glbal plan f actin; Examines the scial and ecnmic frces that are driving water shrtages and marginalizing the pr in agriculture; Lks at the scpe fr internatinal cperatin t reslve crss-brder tensins in water management. Page 44

In fact, chrystile cntaining prducts present undeniable advantages, whse principal nes are as fllws: Lw cst f raw material; Technlgy knwn fr several years; Small cnsumptin f energy; Minimum envirnmental impact: manufacturers wrking in a clsed circuit system, with n residues. These systems d nt release residues cntaining chrystile asbests t the envirnment and they fllw the strict parameters that make them eclgically r envirnmentally crrect plants; Lw cst t the final cnsumer: Traditinal rf shingles and water tanks made f fibre cement with chrystile are extremely imprtant t the emerging and prest cuntries. Since this material is relatively inexpensive, the lw-incme ppulatin, which usually lacks husing and basic sanitatin, can mre easily affrd it. This is a real pprtunity fr peple t imprve their living cnditins. Page 45 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 46 Durability: because chrystile-cement des nt rt r absrb misture, it is by far mre durable than any ther prduct r fibrcement. It has been estimated that the durability f mst replacement materials is less than half the life expectancy f chrystile-cement. If the chrystile cement pipes and rfing materials were banned in the emerging cuntries, it is bvius that their manufacturers will nt benefit frm the advantages f the lw prices allwed by high vlume prductin which cmes with the access t the wrld market. Their prducts will have therefre t be sld at a higher price. This culd result in the eliminatin f hundreds f thusands jbs! This will nt help the peple in pr cuntries. The impact will be very bad. The questin is t knw which prduct is mst likely t make it pssible t reduce the serius prblems frm which the wrld ppulatins suffer. The facts are discncerting and merit serius cnsideratin: Mre peple, especially children, die due t drinking pr quality water than f AIDS and malaria put tgether; Every year abut 2 millin children die frm diseases in the absence f pure water; Diarrhea in Sutheast Asia and Africa is respnsible fr as much as 8.5% and 7.7 % f all deaths respectively. This is mainly due t pr water quality; Millins f peple acrss the wrld have n permanent rfing. In sme develping cuntries the number f temprary rfs (grass, bamb, and thatch) make up t 30% f a cuntry s verall rfs.

Why Chrystile-Cement Prducts Shuld be Used? Chrystile Cement is Prduced by Lw Energy-Cnsuming Technlgy Manufacture f sme prducts invlves high energy cnsumptin, which means a drain n finite resurces (hydrelectricity, fssil fuels, etc.), sme f which are nn-renewable. Cmpared t prducts cming frm the petrchemical r metallurgical industries, chrystile-cement prducts cnsume much less energy; in fact, the largest prprtin f energy cnsumptin ges int the prductin f cement. Chrystile Cement has a Lng Useful Service Life Shrt prduct life means yu have t replace mre ften, create mre waste, and need mre energy cnsumptin, etc. The resistance f chrystile-cement prducts t crrsin, t ultra-vilet rays and, ntably, t rt is remarkable and unique. A chrystile-cement rf can last mre than 50 years, while thse cntaining replacement fibres, accrding t sme bservatins, will rarely exceed 20 years. In fact, few ther prducts have such a guaranteed lng service life. Chrystile Cement Presents a Relatively Lw Risk during its Manufacture Use f cuntless prducts may cause envirnmental damage t fauna, flra, rivers, lakes, seas, undergrund waters. This may ccur, fllwing explsins, radiactive leakage, acid precipitatins, etc., as a result f systems malfunctin, equipment failure, human errr, carelessness r ther unfreseen reasns. With Page 47 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS well-cntrlled plant peratins, chrystile-cement manufacturing presents a lesser risk t the envirnment, cmpared t many ther prduct manufacturing technlgies based n synthetic chemistry r metallurgy. Chrystile Cement Presents a Relatively Lw Risk when in Use Sme prducts may be cnsumed by fire, releasing large cluds f txic and/r crrsive gases. Whereas many cmbustible cnstructin materials may, when they burn, release cluds f gases and/r fumes highly txic t man and t the envirnment. Chrystile-cement prducts are by definitin resistant t heat and fire; in fact, they may actually prevent r minimize the spread f cnflagratin. These are prperties that are crucial t many everyday industrial, cmmercial, ecnmic and individual activities. Discarding chrystile asbests wuld certainly nt mean that the tasks requiring these prperties wuld disappear. It wuld therefre be necessary t turn t replacement prducts, which are basically mineral r synthetic, fibre-based (glass, rck, slag, ceramic, carbn, plastic). These prducts are widely used as thermal insulatin and, t a lesser extent, as frictin material. Chrystile cement is ften replaced by building materials such as sheet metal r PVC (plyvinyl chlride). As a mechanical reinfrcing agent, chrystile is als replaced by ther materials such as cellulse fibre. It shuld be added that metal replacement prducts fr chrystile-cement in the building industry are mre expensive, nt nly in ecnmic terms but als in eclgical terms when the full life cycle f these prducts is taken int accunt. Thus, fr the same lifespan, the manufacturing r replacement metal prducts requires up t five times mre energy than chrystile-cement, with all which that entails in terms f air pllutin and the waste f nn-renewable resurces. It is wrth repeating a few wrds abut the exceptinal characteristics f chrystile that are nt fund in ther prducts. Its usefulness lies in its physical chemical prperties: chemically it is relatively inert and inflammable and it makes a pr thermal r electric cnductr. It als serves very well as reinfrcement against mechanical cmpressin and tractin stresses. Page 48

Chrystile Cement Presents a Relatively Lw Risk when Stred r Transprted, Prir t r after Use Transprtatin and strage f sme raw materials r finished prducts prir t their use, r when discarded after use (ex.: crrsive liquids, hazardus chemicals, strage f discarded PCBs, spent lead batteries, ld tires, etc.) may pse a hazard t bth the envirnment and the general ppulatin. Transprtatin and handling f chrystile-cement prducts d require apprpriate care, but efficient and recgnized wrk practices are simple and straightfrward. The safe transprtatin and strage f sme ther prducts are far mre cmplex, and mishaps can (and d) ccur. The risk f envirnmental damage by a spill f a tanker full f crude il r ther petrchemicals, t the risk f a carg f chrystile-cement prducts is nt cmparable. Chrystile Cement Cnstitutes a Relatively Lw Risk at Final Dispsal Site Sme prducts present a high degree f hazard t the envirnment (sil and/r water cntaminatin) if nt securely cntained in specially designed and tightly supervised dispsal sites. Safe dispsal f many mdern prducts and waste has becme an envirnmental and ecnmic nightmare, ften requiring especially designed and cstly dispsal sites, which must be mnitred cnstantly t prevent leakage f cntaminating substances int the envirnment and sil. Waste management is ften s cmplex and cstly that easier inapprpriate slutins are ften used... Chrystile-cement waste dispsal is inexpensive, simple and recgnized practices are well-knwn. They are made f naturally ccurring material which returns t its envirnment after use. Page 49 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Trade Unin Psitins n Chrystile in a few wrds Page 50 Trade unins frm varius cuntries arund the wrld generally agree with the principle that health and safety regulatins must be carefully bserved by all manufacturers n matter what fibres are used. The prtectin f all, wrkers and the general ppulatin, shuld be based n reliable safety instructins and prgrams. This apprach must be applied bth t chrystile materials and substitute prducts. Cntrary t trade unins invlved in chrystile, this judicius and respnsible apprach is nt shared by sme Eurpean trade unins wh are leading the charge and are ppsed t the safe use f chrystile they want a ttal ban. Their philsphy is certainly nt based nly n health and safety cncerns. They have ther cncerns and interests. Obviusly they implicitly supprt the substitute industry they are representing.

The Safe and Respnsible Use f Chrystile It is indeed pssible t safely wrk with chrystile as it is fr uranium, nickel, cal and many ther natural resurces, cmmdities and ther risky prducts. Over the years, chrystile miners, millers and manufacturers have implemented the cntrlled-use (Internatinal Labur Organizatin Cnventin 162 is an example) f this fibre. Their wrking envirnment is cntrlled and under surveillance. The wrkers and their labur rganizatins are deeply invlved in the safe-use prgramme. Ensuring a safe wrking envirnment fr their members, they requested that the chrystile industry prvide itself with a stewardship prgramme with cntinuus analyses, inspectins and medical surveillances. The requirements are rigrus dare t ask any emplyees, emplyers r trade unins and s are the cntrl measures. Fr many years nw, chrystile industry in cperatin, with their emplyees and labur rganizatins, wrked quite hard t adapt their wrk envirnment t better prtect w r k e r s health and safety. It has given pririty t imprved wrk practices aimed t prevent accidents at wrk and ccupatinal diseases and implemented preventin prgrammes t address the rt causes f wrk hazards and all f these backed by recent scientific data. Page 51

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Tday wrkers knw that many f the replacement fibres and prducts are hazardus t health and the envirnment. Mrever, the use f these prducts is t ften exempt frm the rigrus standards gverning the use f chrystile tday. Wrkers als knw that the replacement f chrystile cement pipes with PVC pipes in water supply systems invlves health and envirnmental hazards that are t rarely taken int accunt, and have als nted the absence f strict regulatins in place fr these prducts, especially in develping cuntries. Fr instance, PVC, which als cntains lead as a stabilizer, is prduced frm vinyl chlride, a pwerful carcingen that may seep int the drinking water. Furthermre, the prper installatin f PVC smetimes requires the use f sme txic and plluting substances, which is nt the case fr chrystile cement prducts. The wrkers invlved in the chrystile industry believe that the health and safety f wrkers and the public must be prtected at all times. This is true fr chrystile asbests and it must als becme a reality fr replacement prducts. The chrystile labur mvement demands that chrystile replacement prducts in nn-friable, high-density prducts be subject t the same regulatry standards as chrystile. Page 52 Chrystile asbests can nw be mined and prcessed under cnditins that are nt prven hazardus fr wrkers. The same is true fr high-density and nn-friable chrystile prducts, which d nt invlve hazards t the public r the envirnment. But wrkers and their unins are very well aware that the same cannt be said f the replacement prducts: little is knwn abut them, and their use culd prve t be cstly, withut

any health r envirnmental benefits in return. This is why the chrystile labur mvement, except fr sme Eurpean labur unins, is ppsed t a ttal ban f chrystile asbests. The labur mvement in the chrystile industry decided many years ag, t play an active rle in the respnsible-use f chrystile asbests and they must be cmmended fr this. In cuntries that have been prducing and / r using chrystile fr decades, the wrkers have learned t mine and handle chrystile safely. They are ready, and it is als their desire, t share their experience with their cmrades in ther cuntries. It is in the best interest f all t discuss the ways wrkers are ding their jbs and the precautins they take in rder t ensure everywhere the prtectin f ccupatinal health and safety and the envirnment t which the peple f the wrld are entitled. Page 53 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Wrking Safer with Substitute Fibres and Prducts Page 54 Cntrls recmmend by respnsible emplyers shuld be precisely the same that allw all wrkers t use high-density chrystile prducts in rder t ensure a safe wrkplace.

Page 55 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 56 Health Cmes First The trade unin wrld related t chrystile is cnscius f particular wrking cnditins that are actually encuntered. In the cnstructin industry, it is in this industrial sectr that are fund the greatest number and mst severe health prblems. Regularly expsed t a multitude f different fibre types, these wrkers are nw living with the heritage frm the bad management f asbests amphible fibres. In certain parts f the wrld, in Eurpe and Nrth America in particular, buildings erected and infrastructures built in the 80s and befre, cntain all types f asbests fibres. When dismantling a part r the whle structure, wrkers are at risk f an expsure t high level f dust and amphibles. Such risky situatins must be addressed with determinatin by all cncerned authrities. Trade unins and wrkers f the chrystile industry, wh pssess a slid expertise in this area, rightly demand that all precautins shuld be taken when wrking where asbests amphible fibres might be released. Safe wrking methds must be used, accmpanied by a respnsible-use apprach, supprted by a strict and well-articulated regulatin, particularly in the cnstructin industry, in which wrkers and their labur unin must be invlved. Thus regarding dismantling, renvating in the building cnstructin industry, trade unins frm cuntries prducing and cnsuming chrystile want t make sure that all necessary measures are in place in rder t prtect the health f the wrkers which cmes first.

SUBSTITUTE FIBRES They are nt subject t similar cntrl as chrystile. They culd pse equal r greater risk. Page 57 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS Page 58

Difference f aspects between traditinal paving and chrystile-cntaining paving, after 12 years f use. RN 141, France. Page 59 THIS BROCHURE IS ABOUT FACTS

LEARNING THE DIFFERENCE The wrd asbests is a cmmercial term t indicate any fibrus silicate mineral with a silicate fibrus frm. There are many types f asbests fibres, divided int tw families: the serpentine (chrystile) and the amphibles (all amphible mines, lcated mainly in Suth Africa and Australia, were clsed in the late 20th century). The tw types f asbests (serpentine and amphibles) shuld never be included in the same categry. Page 60