Environmental Sound Management of Asbestos-Containing Wastes Generated from Industries in India

“Asbestos” has been used since the historical period for the manufacture of around 3000 products; the reasons are attributed to its characteristic properties such as high tensile strength, lightweight, heat resistance capacity and most importantly its usability as an insulating material. But, due to its unambiguous links with diseases such as ‘Mesothelioma’ and ‘Lung-fibrosis’, many of the developed nations have already imposed a ban on its usage. However, it is still extensively used in other nations including India, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam. These countries persistently produce and consume asbestos and other associated asbestos-containing products. In a developing economy like India, the occupational exposure of asbestos is usually encountered during mining of asbestos, manufacturing asbestos-containing construction products, in asbestos processing industries as well as in asbestos-containing product (ACP) (insulation material) manufacturing industries. A major quantum of asbestos wastes (AW) is generated during refurbishment activities such as demotion of old buildings (corrugated cement sheets) and dismantling of end-of-life ships. There are a large number of asbestos products manufacturing and utilizing industries in India, both in large- and medium-scale sectors. But a huge significant amount of small-scale and unorganised sectors is located around the major rural and urban centres. This study articulates the current trend of production of asbestos and consumption in India as well as the generation of asbestos wastes (AW) and asbestos-containing wastes (ACW) in various industries in India. As asbestos is known for its resistance to fire and being lightweight, it has been widely used in chemical plant machinery, infrastructural framework of industrial plants and manufacture of fire and chemical-resistant protective clothing for chemical plant workers. Therefore, it is imperative to estimate various asbestos-containing materials (ACM) and generation of AW and ACW in industries for adopting the precautionary measures while handling such materials. To address the asbestos problem, effective government policies and regulations are imperatively associated with technical interventions. Self-regulation by the concerned industries, including the adoption of cleaner production and management strategies during planning, design and operations, will significantly help to ensure proper asbestos wastes management and minimization of exposure to the workforce. The strategies for preventive environmental management of AW and ACW have been discussed in this work.