10 things you didn’t know about asbestos

  • 65 – Out of 195 countries, only 65 have banned the use and importation of asbestos

  • 300 – The United States of America imported 300 metric tonnes of asbestos in 2020. This was double the amount imported in 2019.

  • $191,000,000 – The worth of asbestos exported by Russia in 2019

  • 203 – The number of towns built on asbestos containing soil in Turkey. The total population under environmental asbestos risk in Turkey is thought to be around 72000.

  • 100,000 – The estimated number of people worldwide to die annually following asbestos exposure is estimated to be 100,000. 

  • 2035 – The UK All-Party Parliamentary Group announced that all asbestos should be removed from British workplaces by 2035

  • 270 – The number of asbestos fly-tipping incidents in one year throughout Wales. Northumberland Council stated that they have had asbestos dumped in every corner of the county.

  • 25000 – The number of cars recalled by China in 2012, following shipment to the USA containing asbestos gaskets.

  • 0.1 – An asbestos fibre can be as thin as 0.1 microns. Compare this to a human hair which can be 50 microns wide you can see the difficulty in locating and containing asbestos fibres.

  • $2,000,000 to £3,000,000 – The amount paid to 17 property owners in the Australian town of Wittenoon, Western Australia who were required to relocate due to asbestos contamination. 2000 people have died in Wittenoon from asbestos related diseases, making it the most contaminated site in the southern hemisphere. Chernobyl would be classed as the northern hemisphere’s most contaminated site. The asbestos mine at Wittenoon has been closed since the 1950s but piles of blue asbestos remain, moved around by wind and flood waters.