lovesouthernsocial.com

According to a specialist, water tanks and tiles can expose consumers to the fiber of the material, subjecting them to develop lung and digestive tract tumors

Asbestos mineral fiber, also known as asbestos fiber, is the raw material for many low-cost products that are common in homes throughout Brazil, such as water tanks and roof tiles. Banned in more than 50 countries and responsible for about 100,000 deaths a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), asbestos raises two important questions for consumers: is it dangerous to have such a product at home? What are the risks of asbestos? What is the correct destination for roof tiles or water tanks?

Asbestos fiber can cause problems for humans when vacuumed or ingested. According to the manager of the State Asbestos Program of the Ministry of Labor in São Paulo, Fernanda Giannasi, there is a risk of a person developing complications such as cancer, if they have objects made with asbestos at home. “There is a risk. The product (water tank or tile) has a thin outer layer of cement, but with time wear occurs and it releases the fibers into the environment. In the installation phase of a tile, for example, it is common for the tile to be perforated. Dust that is released is highly contaminating. Many people also use a broom or other abrasive materials that end up wearing down the products even more and releasing the dust”, he explains.

According to the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos (Abrea), the industry claims that diseases caused by asbestos are operational (caused by exposure at work - common in mining and in the industry that deals with raw materials) and that this factor would not be enough to ban production. Fernanda objects. “Workers in the asbestos industry or in mining companies are exposed to higher concentrations and often develop asbestosis (a disease in which asbestos fibers go deep into the lung and cause various scars). However, consumers who have contact with a small amount of asbestos are at risk of developing tumors and developing lung cancer, especially mesothelioma”, he says.

Once vacuumed, the asbestos fiber no longer leaves the body. It is possible that the element remains incubated in the lung and some of the aforementioned diseases manifest themselves after several years. Ingestion can also cause the appearance of tumors in the digestive tract, according to Fernanda Giannasi.

discard

Due to the dangers that a product made with asbestos can cause, replacement is ideal. However, many cannot afford it. “If there is no way to change it, it is necessary to be very careful with the maintenance of the water tank. It wears out well after five years of use. Avoid cleaning with abrasives and steel brushes. Painting it doesn't help either. It can even improve insulation, but it doesn't solve asbestos dust”, argues the manager.

Resolution 348 of the National Environmental Council (Conama), from 2004, determines that products that have asbestos as a raw material cannot be discarded anywhere. “Decontamination is very difficult to be done due to the high cost and is only carried out in some cases, usually in industries. The material is not recyclable and the best thing the consumer can do is to consult the regional administration or the sub-prefecture of their city to find out how to dispose of it. The asbestos destination has to be a landfill for hazardous waste and, when removing the tile or water tank, it is necessary to be very careful and avoid breaking the material,” explains Fernanda.

Open the

For the president of Abre, Eliezer João de Souza, the Brazilian asbestos industry is thinking only about the financial issue and that is why products based on raw materials are still being produced. “It's a money-making game. As industrialists have been profiting without problems for 50 years in Brazil, they don't care if workers die or not. It's a totally commercial issue”, he says.