In de Indiase regio Rajasthan wordt 90% van India’s totale asbestproductie verwerkt. In de meeste gevallen gebeurt dat in ongeorganiseerde particuliere bedrijfjes: molens waar amphibool asbest uit mijnen in de regio tot poeder wordt verwerkt dat in asbestcementproducten wordt gebruikt. De werkomstandigheden in deze bedrijfjes zijn zeer gevaarlijk, aldus een artikel van Indiase onderzoekers. Bron: Ansari, F. et al. (2007). Monitoring and identification of airborne asbestos in unorganized sectors, India. Chemosphere 68, 716-23.
Ansari, F. et al. (2007). Monitoring and identification of airborne asbestos in unorganized sectors, India. Chemosphere 68, 716-23.
Abstract
Rajasthan state in India is credited to cater more than 90% of total production of asbestos in this country, of which around 60% is processed there in unorganized sectors including milling and manufacturing of asbestos-based products. Unorganized asbestos units particularly mills showed unhealthy occupational conditions, therefore industrial hygiene study was carried out focusing on the prevalence of asbestos fibres in air at work zone area of asbestos milling units. Fibre levels were in the range of 2.00-5.09 f/cm3 and 4.07-15.60 f/cm3 in unorganized asbestos mills of Rajasthan located at Beawer and Deogarh districts, respectively. Like asbestos concentration, fibre type and length are also vital factors in the health risk assessment of industrial workers. Phase contrast and polarized light microscopic study of asbestos fibres showed their amphibole nature registering about 90% as tremolite and rest as anthophyllite. Fibre length measured micrometrically were sub-grouped in <.10 lm, 11-20 lm, 21-30 lm and >.30 lm. About 30-40% fibres belonged to sub-group <.10 lm. It is concluded that unorganized asbestos mills bear poor industrial unhygienic conditions reflected specifically from their manifold higher fibre concentrations than the Indian and International standards. Poor industrial unhygienic conditions are attributable to obsolete milling technology, lack of pollution control devices and escape from regulatory control.