The agency’s announcement of the final rule applies to chrysotile asbestos, the only form of asbestos currently being used in or imported to the United States. It is the most common type of asbestos used in the world, used in car parts such as aftermarket automotive brakes and linings and other vehicle friction products and gaskets. It’s been banned in 50 other countries.
Manufacturers dialed back the use of asbestos once scientists determined that the fibers could easily separate into tiny particles that could be inhaled into the lungs, causing damage.
While the use of asbestos has been declining for decades in the US, asbestos exposure is linked to more than 40,000 deaths in the US, according to the EPA.
People who are exposed to asbestos can develop lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer, studies show.
The George Washington University has experts available to discuss the ban, how breathing asbestos can have an impact on your health and who is most at risk. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Katelyn Deckelbaum, [email protected].
Susan Anenberg, is the director of the GW Climate and Health Institute, and professor of environmental and occupational health at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. She can talk about the risk asbestos presents to our health.
Julie Bauman, is the director of the GW Cancer Center as well as associate dean of cancer and professor of medicine at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She can discuss the cancer risk and provide thoughts on the ban.
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