Investigative Reporting Denmark (https://www.ir-d.dk/)
Asian workers remove asbestos from ships Photo: Adam Cohn. Nine out of ten European ships end their lives on Southeast Asian tidal beaches recycled into scrap metals. Unprotected workers get poisoned and killed despite regulations supposed to protect life and environment. Three international conventions and one EU-law about recycling of ships aim to protect workers and nature. They don’t.
Design: Janni Kristensen/TV2 Nord
Although asbestos is now banned in 69 countries, it still lurks in our buildings, our landfills – and our water pipes. There is general acceptance that inhalation can be lethal; now scientists and campaigners are voicing increasing dismay about the potential risks of ingestion – swallowing the fibres. This experts fear would be part of a fourth wave of risks following the risks for miners, for manufacturing workers, and for construction workers and their families. Asbeter founder and CEO, Dr Inez Postema and Cornelis van der Burg, head of R&D, Asbeter, on a visit to Asbeter, Rotterdam. Photo: Katharine Quarmby
Take aways:
Water pipes made of asbestos cement release fibres that are lethal when inhaled.
Edoardo Anziano (1999) is a freelance journalist and investigative reporter for IrpiMedia and Scomodo, the biggest under-25 Italian newspaper. He graduated in Philosophy at the University of Bologna. He’s now pursuing his MA in Journalism, Media and Globalisation at Aarhus University, Denmark and University of Amsterdam. He is registered as a professional journalist in Italy.
Jenni Elisabeth Christensen is an editor at the Danish regional media TV2 Nord which covers the northern part of Jutland. She is responsible for the daily news planning and production, and for the cooperation with TV2 Denmark.
Jenni Elisabeth Christensen is an editor at the Danish regional media TV2 Nord which covers the northern part of Jutland. She is responsible for the daily news planning and production, and for the cooperation with TV2 Denmark. “Ever since I started working as a journalist in 2004, I have both covered and followed colleagues covering stories about asbestos, and the consequences it continues to have for the people working with it, as well as their families. I am very excited to join this important investigative project”. Staffan Dahllöf, Investigative Reporting Denmark, is a freelance journalist working as a correspondent to Swedish media on Danish issues and to Scandinavian media on European affaires.
Mašenjka Bačić has been a journalist since 2007. Now she is working for Croatian investigative portal Oštro. She has collaborated with commercial, nonprofit, and public media outlets in Croatia and abroad. Her articles have been published on Balkan Insight, Euronews and The Guardian. She is coauthor of the book Gazda: Početak about privatization in Croatia after the fall of Yugoslavia.
New EU-rules on asbestos are seen as a victory by members of the European Parliament who have demanded a general overhaul of EU’s asbestos policies. The occupational exposure limit will be set 10 times lower than today from 0.1 to 0.01 fibres per cm3 without a transition period. After maximum six years the limit will be further decreased to 0.002 fibres per cm3. This is in line with the existing limit in the Netherlands, the lowest in the EU, and close to the limit of 0.001 fibres demanded by Parliament. “This is a major step forward in the fight against this leading cause of occupational cancer,” MEP and rapporteur Veronique Trillet-Lenoir, (Renew Europe) said, after an agreement had been made with Council Tuesday afternoon.
An expert from the Danish Cancer Society, Kræftens Bekæmpelse, expresses doubt on the number of asbestos deaths in Denmark of 1300 annually, mentioned in the stories in the project Asbestos: The Lethal Legacy. Johnni Hansen, The Danish Cancer Society: “Asbestos-related deaths are around 300 annually in Denmark.” “I think the number of asbestos related cancer deaths nowadays in Denmark is lower, perhaps in the range of 300 annually,” says senior scientist, Ph. D. Johnni Hansen, Danish Cancer Society. His main argument for this is that he finds the methods for calculation of the 1300 yearly asbestos related deaths to be outdated.
Commission waters down broad political initiative
TAKE AWAYS
Health experts, trade unions and a uniquely broad majority in the European Parliament has called for a pan-European strategy to register and remove asbestos, lower occupational exposure limits, recognise victims and more. Commission, the key EU-institution for framing new proposals has addressed the concerns under the headline “Towards an asbestos-free future”. The Commission suggests lowered exposure limits for workers, yet ten times higher than the Parliament’s demand. Contrary to experts’ opinions and death figures of 70 000 – 90 000, construction companies suggest the annual asbestos death toll for workers is 22 – based on a study issued by the Commission. The Commission refrains to comment on the extremely different readings of the study it has initiated and published.
Could asbestos be even more deadly than previously thought? TAKE AWAYS
Asbestos is more lethal than previously known. New figures, recognized by EU-institutions show that 70 000 – 90 000 Europeans die of asbestos related cancer each year. To older working men, a known group of victims, are now added women, teachers, hospital personal, office workers, and all people exposed to asbestos in public building and private homes. The death rate is rising in countries which banned the use of asbestos 30-40 years ago due to demolition and renovation of asbestos that has never been removed.
Edoardo Anziano (1999) is a freelance journalist and investigative reporter for IrpiMedia and Scomodo, the biggest under-25 Italian newspaper. He graduated in Philosophy at the University of Bologna. He’s now pursuing his MA in Journalism, Media and Globalisation at Aarhus University, Denmark and University of Amsterdam. He is registered as a professional journalist in Italy.
Lorenzo Bagnoli is investigative reporter at IRPI – Investigative reporting project Italy. He is focused on transnational organized crime.