Asbestos and asbestos waste management in the Asian-Pacific region: trends, challenges and solutions

With of the rapid economic development of the Asian-Pacific region during the past several decades, asbestos products have been used, and asbestos waste generated, in large quantities, while issues of occupational hazards and environmental risks have not been given adequate attention. In order to better understand the asbestos management situation in this area, this study selected 13 countries that consumed more than half of the global quantity of asbestos in 2011; researched information on asbestos production, consumption and import; compared data from developed and developing countries in the region; and predicted the amount of asbestos waste that would be generated in the Asian-Pacific from 2013 to 2022. Then, related aspects such as regulations and authorities, occupational exposure and follow-up medical care, asbestos waste treatment, awareness-raising activities and possible substitutes for asbestos, were discussed and analyzed. Asbestos waste, at an estimated generation of 48.8 million tons, should be efficiently disposed of or recycled with new technologies and treatment facilities in the region. What't more, the governments of these countries should take action to regulate the mining and processing of asbestos or asbestos-containing products, set up and equip medical facilities for asbestos-affected communities, search for asbestos substitutes, raise public awareness, and seek international cooperation for asbestos waste management. The article is specifically intended to be used as a basis for the development of new strategies and policies for asbestos waste management, and for investments in new waste treatment facilities, for decision makers at all levels of government and in private industries in the region.