Asbestos: A potential health hazard
The front sections of 2 units along Jalan Hitam Manis in Chip Bee Gardens covered in blue tarp with signs indicating asbestos removal. Photo: Raj Nadajaran/TODAY
Asbestos is a natural mineral composed of fibrous silicates with high tensile strength and good heat and fire resistance.
Because of these properties, it is commonly used for the manufacture of building materials, friction and insulation products, although many countries have restricted its use since the late 1980s because of its harmful nature.
When asbestos fibres are inhaled, they may get trapped in the lungs, which, over time, could lead to serious diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma (a cancer of the chest and abdominal lining) and asbestosis (fibrosis of lung tissues). These diseases are insidious in nature and take many years — even up to 40 years — to manifest.
Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water and soil, so everyone is exposed to it at some point, although brief exposure poses low risks. Those who become ill from asbestos are usually exposed to it regularly or for a prolonged period, such as in jobs that require working directly with the material. Examples include renovators, construction workers and firefighters.
In Singapore, the use of asbestos materials in buildings and the import of raw asbestos have been banned since the late 1980s. But the removal or demolition of such materials in buildings constructed before the ban can generate asbestos fibres, which may pose a health hazard.
There were seven cases of mesothelioma from previous exposure to asbestos here last year, an increase from five cases in 2014. The figure from 1970 to 2014 stands at 63 cases.
