On January 4, in Ahmedabad, India, thirty members of Rajasthan State Mine Labour Union protested at the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH). Protesters demanded release of a report covering the findings of a study conducted on asbestos miners. The study included one hundred sixty four mineworkers and the possible affects of asbestos mining on their health.
Asbestos is classified as a Type 1 carcinogen. It causes several fatal respiratory conditions including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestos use has become highly regulated in many developed countries, as the safety and health hazards have become known. However, in developing nations, such as India, asbestos continues to be used regularly and without proper protective measures.
The US covers asbestos use in the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency’s code of conduct regarding the quality and maintenance of American air. Currently, asbestos lawsuits are piling up in America, the UK and Australia as individuals and companies violate public health regulations. However, throughout the world thousands are working with and around asbestos without the benefit of such regulations or even the safety education to take personal precautions.
Asbestos is considered to be the exclusive cause of rare cancer mesothelioma, a cancer affecting abdominal cavity lining, most commonly of the lungs. Airborne asbestos fibers can begin a mutative process if inhaled. Mesothelioma takes decades to develop
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