Mesothelioma Causing Asbestos Fails to Make Watch List as Pesticide Does

More than 120 countries present at the Rotterdam Convention in Rome have agreed to add the pesticide tributyltin to the global watch list of harmful substances. Tributyltin is a type of organic compound used to preserve wood and acts as a pesticide in marine paints.

The tributyltin group of compounds is considered toxic to the environment and to humans due to their ability to persist in the environment. In marine animals, the substances have been shown to have immunosuppressive effects.

Unfortunately though, the countries present at the convention have not been able to achieve the same decision with chrysotile asbestos.<

Asbestos is widely known as a dangerous substance because exposure can cause a range of serious diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma is a harmful disease to contract because the majority of cases aren’t diagnosed until the latest stages of development. Because of this, most mesothelioma treatment options for patients are limited to palliative measures rather than curative.

In America, asbestos was used in many types of construction materials up until the mid-1980s. In developing countries such as India, the story is completely different. In fact, asbestos is seeing a massive upsurge in use. The mineral is cheap, light, durable, and easy to use, making it extremely popular.

Despite the fact that the majority of countries clearly support the inclusion of chrysotile asbestos to the watch list, a consensus could not be achieved. According to the Rotterdam Convention regulations, a complete consensus must be made to include a new chemical on the watch list.

Not surprisingly, the reason for the exclusion of chrysotile asbestos comes down to money. Among those countries opposing the inclusion was Canada, which exports tens of millions of dollars worth of chrysotile each year to countries such as India.

According to European Trade Union Institute statistics, the use of asbestos in India has more than doubled over the last three decades. And according to World Health Organization statistics, 100,000 people pass away every year from asbestos-related diseases. It’s entirely possible for that figure to climb if countries continue to use the substance over the next several decades.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 7th, 2008 at 5:34 pm and is filed under Asbestos Legislation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.