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Claim: A viral image circulated via Meta’s WhatsApp groups asserts that asbestos ceilings are cancerous and have been banned in several countries.
Verdict: TRUE. Findings reveal that some countries have banned the use of asbestos within their territories. Also, medical professionals have confirmed to DUBAWA the health hazards that asbestos can cause.
Full Text
Asbestos is a common building material used for insulation, ceiling and roofing. Before the Plaster of Paris (POP) became commonplace, the asbestos ceiling was popular among households.
However, a viral image is being circulated via groups on Meta’s WhatsApp that the asbestos ceiling can cause cancer, thus causing it to be banned from most countries.
The caption on the image reads,
“Living under asbestos ceiling is bad for your health. It is cancerous to your health and has been banned in most countries.”
This claim has been shared multiple times on WhatsApp. Due to the virality of the post across the platform, DUBAWA decided to verify it.
Verification
According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos has tiny fibres in them. When these tiny fibres escape into the atmosphere, people breathe them in, and it promises them long-term health hazards. These fibre particles become trapped in the lungs, and when they become accumulated, they cause scarring and inflammation. These conditions can trigger serious health problems for them.
The paper also reports the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which mentions “sufficient evidence” that asbestos causes mesothelioma (cancer of thin membranes which line the chest and abdomen) and cancer of the lung, larynx, and ovary.
However, IARC also mentions that there is limited evidence on whether asbestos causes stomach, pharynx and colorectal cancers.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) also corroborates that outcome.
Has asbestos been banned in several countries?
In an Asbestos.com article written in April, international health organisations are disclosed to have canvassed for a global ban in 2010.
The paper also discloses that the World Health Assembly asked the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2007 to launch a global campaign to “end” asbestos-related diseases. This was an indirect campaign against countries that still use asbestos.
Furthermore, at the 66th World Health Assembly in 2013, the WHO proposed a “global action” meant to be sustained between 2013 and 2020. It enumerated a set of policies that would manage and curtail non-communicable diseases, one of which was putting an end to the worldwide use of all types of asbestos.
According to the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, 55 nations have banned asbestos. Asbestos Nation also reiterates this but notes that China, Russia, India, and Canada are exempt. Asbestos has been banned in several countries, except for Mexico, according to the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency
What experts say
In an interview with Dr Nwamaka Lasebikan, President of the Association of Radiation and Clinical Oncologists of Nigeria (ARCON) at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, she confirmed that asbestos exposure can actually lead to serious health problems, including cancer.
Asbestos exposure can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers such as those of the larynx and ovaries.” Dr Lasebikan stated.
She further mentioned that inhaling asbestos fibres can endanger certain organs in the body because these fibres can (be) trapped in the lungs, which could cause “inflammation and scarring.”
Dr Lasebikan also stated that people who live under the asbestos ceiling are at risk of experiencing health problems due to the potential release of asbestos fibres into the air. She further explained that asbestos-containing materials, such as those used in ceilings, can deteriorate over time, releasing microscopic fibres into the air that can be inhaled or ingested.
“These fibres can (lodge) in the lungs or other tissues, leading to inflammation, scarring, and genetic damage to cells, which can increase the risk of developing cancer and other diseases over time,” she said.
Dr Tessy Ahmadu, a radiation consultant and clinical oncologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, also identified some of the asbestos-related health hazards. She stated that long-term exposure to asbestos fibre can increase the risk of certain cancers such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovary and larynx cancer.
She mentioned that those who are likely to encounter these risks are workers whose jobs are associated with asbestos mining, asbestos textiles and other asbestos products.
“This risk is much higher in workers whose jobs are associated with asbestos milling and mining, asbestos textiles and other asbestos products,” Dr Ahmadu said.
The radiation consultant, however, pointed out that asbestos ceilings may not be a direct risk unless particle material from the asbestos infiltrates the body and comes in contact with the lining of the organs mentioned above.
She also added that studies have shown no safe levels of asbestos exposure.
Conclusion
The claim that asbestos ceilings are cancerous and have been banned in several countries is true.
