{"id":10657,"date":"2024-12-04T10:27:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T09:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.gsa-messgeraete.de\/asbestos-bans-in-countries-worldwide\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T10:58:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T08:58:22","slug":"asbestos-bans-in-countries-worldwide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.gsa-messgeraete.de\/en\/asbestos-bans-in-countries-worldwide\/","title":{"rendered":"Asbestos bans in countries worldwide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There is currently no comprehensive ban on asbestos worldwide. Individual countries, mainly in Northern Europe, first introduced asbestos bans in the 1980s. The mining, processing and use of products containing asbestos continues to be a serious problem for human health and the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to estimates (WHO 2018), around 125 million people work in workplaces with asbestos exposure. Furthermore, many thousands of people die every year from asbestos-related diseases, not all of which can be attributed to occupational exposure to asbestos. <\/p>\n\n

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Asbestos – naturally occurring silicate minerals<\/h2>\n\n

Asbestos <\/strong>forms a group of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals<\/em> such as the main forms chrysotile<\/em> or crocidolite<\/em>. For decades, asbestos fibers <\/em>were considered “miracle fibers”<\/em>. They are particularly heat-resistant and have low thermal conductivity. In addition, they are resistant to chemical influences <\/em>and have a particularly high strength<\/em>. This made the industrially produced asbestos-containing material <\/em>particularly suitable for use in the construction industry,<\/em> where asbestos-containing products were used for roofs, water pipes and other products such as adhesives. They were also used in the automotive sector<\/em> for the production of clutches, brake linings and brake blocks and, in particular, for shipbuilding<\/em>. In addition, asbestos fibers were spun into yarns, which were used to make heat-resistant workwear, for example. <\/p>\n\n

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Hazardous asbestos fibers <\/h2>\n\n

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All types of asbestos are harmful to health if the asbestos fibers can be released and reach the alveoli of the lungs via the respiratory tract over long periods of time. There is a high risk from prolonged or years-long exposure to asbestos<\/em>, which can lead to occupational diseases such as asbestosis<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n

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Diseases caused by asbestos<\/h2>\n\n

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All types of asbestos can cause lung cancer,<\/em> mesothelioma<\/em>, laryngeal and ovarian cancer<\/em>, asbestosis (pulmonary fibrosis) as<\/em> well as plaques<\/em>, thickenings<\/em> and effusions in the pleura<\/em>. Health-threatening<\/em> exposure to asbestos<\/em> occurs through inhalation of asbestos fibers at the workplace<\/em>, in areas where asbestos<\/em> is processed<\/em> or, for example, in the indoor air <\/em>of homes. In buildings, asbestos fibers can be released from asbestos-containing materials due to ageing or mechanical work. Asbestosis has been recognized as an occupational disease<\/em> for decades. Although asbestos has been banned in Germany, for example, since 1993, there are still numerous cases of asbestosis, as in other countries where the ban has also been in place for a long time. The reason for this is the long latency period of the disease. This can be up to 30 years. This means that people who were regularly exposed to asbestos at the workplace up until the 1990s can still suffer from its long-term effects today. <\/p>\n\n

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Mining of asbestos in asbestos mines<\/h2>\n\n

Asbestos fibers are extracted for industrial use<\/em> by mining in asbestos mines<\/strong>. In many countries, the extraction of asbestos fibers in mines is already prohibited. Nevertheless, some countries such as China<\/strong>, Russia<\/strong> and India<\/strong> continue to mine asbestos-containing rock in their asbestos mines. The asbestos rock is further processed in asbestos factories in order to extract asbestos fibers of various lengths for industrial purposes. <\/p>\n\n

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Introduction of asbestos bans by country <\/h2>\n\n

A comprehensive ban on asbestos has been in force in the EU since 2005<\/strong>, which prohibits the manufacture, placing on the market or use of asbestos or products containing asbestos<\/em>. It has been in force in Germany since 1993. Most industrialized countries also prohibit this. <\/p>\n\n

According to the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat<\/strong>, the mining, manufacture and use of products containing asbestos<\/em> are now banned in many countries. For some of these countries, certain special regulations apply for restricted uses. <\/p>\n\n

In a few countries, such as China, Russia and India<\/strong>, asbestos is not yet strictly banned<\/strong>, but exceptions<\/strong> continue to apply<\/strong>, which allow the use of asbestos<\/em> in particular. Asbestos continues to be used and products containing asbestos are manufactured with its fibers. In developing and emerging countries<\/strong>, there is an asbestos lobby against a ban. For example, asbestos factories from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan formed an umbrella organization of asbestos cement workers in 2006, which wants to stop a ban on asbestos. <\/p>\n\n

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\"Asbestos
Asbestos bans by country worldwide<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The graphical representation of the country-specific asbestos bans was created with the utmost care. Nevertheless, errors in content cannot be completely ruled out. The data sources used are listed below the article. <\/p>\n\n

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Asbestos bans introduced in the years 1980 -1990 <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n