{"id":102670,"date":"2005-06-16T20:17:00","date_gmt":"2005-06-16T20:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.moldova.org\/2005\/06\/16\/asbestos-use-in-moldova-it-is-time-to-stop-it-21136-eng\/"},"modified":"2005-06-16T20:17:00","modified_gmt":"2005-06-16T20:17:00","slug":"asbestos-use-in-moldova-it-is-time-to-stop-it-21136-eng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/asbestos-use-in-moldova-it-is-time-to-stop-it-21136-eng\/","title":{"rendered":"Asbestos use in Moldova: it is time to stop it"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\nBy Vlad Spânu <\/p>\n

The Republic of Moldova has suffered from serious environmental damage like the other countries in the former Soviet Union. There are two main sources of contamination in Moldova: agricultural chemicals and asbestos. <\/p>\n

Agricultural chemicals, including pesticides, such as DDT were widely used during the Soviet times. Therefore, substantial amounts of Moldovan soil and ground water are contaminated. The two main rivers in Moldova – the Prut in the west and Nistru (Dniester) in the east – are polluted. Untreated drinking water may have heavy metal contamination from agricultural chemicals. <\/p>\n

From the extensive use of asbestos in construction, in some areas soil has high concentrations of asbestos. <\/p>\n

Nowadays, when the health problems of asbestos are known, asbestos-cement sheets are widely used in construction across Moldova. Unfortunately, the public is mostly unaware that asbestos has been linked to a variety of ailments. <\/p>\n

Lung cancer is the most common cancer caused by asbestos. Mesothelioma, the most severe form of cancer of the chest and abdomen, usually kills in 1-2 years after it is diagnosed. According to medical studies, most people who develop mesothelioma cancer have worked on construction related jobs where they have inhaled the extremely fine asbestos particles. Prolonged exposure can have a dramatic impact on ones health leading to this rare form of cancer which affects the pleura, a sac which surrounds the lungs, the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity or the pericardium, and a sac that surrounds the heart. <\/p>\n

Asbestos cancer, other than mesothelioma, has a long latency period and symptoms show up many years after exposure. <\/p>\n

In the West, asbestos use is prohibited. In the United States, the asbestos caused disease is a public health crisis. Since 1982, the number of claimants that sue the asbestos related industries grew from 21,000 to 600,000 and the number of defenders – from 300 to 6,000. The total cost of lawsuits is about $54 billion that is expected to rise to $145-210 billion in the coming years. In 1999, the US Supreme Court revoked a $1.5 billion class action settlement and justices ruled that the settlement had compromised the rights of the victims and that it was up to Congress to develop legislation to help move the numerous asbestos lawsuits through the court system at a faster pace. <\/p>\n

In this regard, Moldova seems frozen in time. A 2005 report of the European Committee of Social Rights of the Council of Europe established that it found no evidence that Moldovan authorities banned asbestos use. According to the Moldovan Academy of Science, currently, Moldova continues to import asbestos and use it in construction. <\/p>\n

Moldovan authorities need to prohibit the use of new asbestos roofing sheets and encourage to use other materials, such as coated iron sheets (tile profile), which are in accordance with UN’s environmental policy. Additionally, Moldova has to oblige the owners of apartment blocks and public buildings to search for the presence of asbestos and have it removed if necessary and requiring companies to eliminate waste appropriately. <\/p>\n

There are several ways Moldova can stop the asbestos killer. One would be the Moldovan authorities take the lead in addressing this important environment problem. The European Union could also play a role here by pushing Moldova to comply with the EU norms. The integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU is the country’s top foreign policy priority and Moldova would have to adopt EU environment, occupational safety and health standards. Another interested party should be the Moldovan civil society. It has to start voicing its concern and pressing the government to take actions for stopping the asbestos use that puts in danger hundreds of thousands of Moldovan citizens. <\/p>\n

* * * <\/p>\n

Vlad Spanu is the President of the Moldova Foundation in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>The Republic of Moldova has suffered from serious environmental damage like the other countries in the former Soviet Union. There are two main sources of contamination in Moldova: agricultural chemica<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"content_social_share":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\nBy Vlad Spânu <\/p>\n

The Republic of Moldova has suffered from serious environmental damage like the other countries in the former Soviet Union. There are two main sources of contamination in Moldova: agricultural chemicals and asbestos. <\/p>\n

Agricultural chemicals, including pesticides, such as DDT were widely used during the Soviet times. Therefore, substantial amounts of Moldovan soil and ground water are contaminated. The two main rivers in Moldova – the Prut in the west and Nistru (Dniester) in the east – are polluted. Untreated drinking water may have heavy metal contamination from agricultural chemicals. <\/p>\n

From the extensive use of asbestos in construction, in some areas soil has high concentrations of asbestos. <\/p>\n

Nowadays, when the health problems of asbestos are known, asbestos-cement sheets are widely used in construction across Moldova. Unfortunately, the public is mostly unaware that asbestos has been linked to a variety of ailments. <\/p>\n

Lung cancer is the most common cancer caused by asbestos. Mesothelioma, the most severe form of cancer of the chest and abdomen, usually kills in 1-2 years after it is diagnosed. According to medical studies, most people who develop mesothelioma cancer have worked on construction related jobs where they have inhaled the extremely fine asbestos particles. Prolonged exposure can have a dramatic impact on ones health leading to this rare form of cancer which affects the pleura, a sac which surrounds the lungs, the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity or the pericardium, and a sac that surrounds the heart. <\/p>\n

Asbestos cancer, other than mesothelioma, has a long latency period and symptoms show up many years after exposure. <\/p>\n

In the West, asbestos use is prohibited. In the United States, the asbestos caused disease is a public health crisis. Since 1982, the number of claimants that sue the asbestos related industries grew from 21,000 to 600,000 and the number of defenders – from 300 to 6,000. The total cost of lawsuits is about $54 billion that is expected to rise to $145-210 billion in the coming years. In 1999, the US Supreme Court revoked a $1.5 billion class action settlement and justices ruled that the settlement had compromised the rights of the victims and that it was up to Congress to develop legislation to help move the numerous asbestos lawsuits through the court system at a faster pace. <\/p>\n

In this regard, Moldova seems frozen in time. A 2005 report of the European Committee of Social Rights of the Council of Europe established that it found no evidence that Moldovan authorities banned asbestos use. According to the Moldovan Academy of Science, currently, Moldova continues to import asbestos and use it in construction. <\/p>\n

Moldovan authorities need to prohibit the use of new asbestos roofing sheets and encourage to use other materials, such as coated iron sheets (tile profile), which are in accordance with UN’s environmental policy. Additionally, Moldova has to oblige the owners of apartment blocks and public buildings to search for the presence of asbestos and have it removed if necessary and requiring companies to eliminate waste appropriately. <\/p>\n

There are several ways Moldova can stop the asbestos killer. One would be the Moldovan authorities take the lead in addressing this important environment problem. The European Union could also play a role here by pushing Moldova to comply with the EU norms. The integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU is the country’s top foreign policy priority and Moldova would have to adopt EU environment, occupational safety and health standards. Another interested party should be the Moldovan civil society. It has to start voicing its concern and pressing the government to take actions for stopping the asbestos use that puts in danger hundreds of thousands of Moldovan citizens. <\/p>\n

* * * <\/p>\n

Vlad Spanu is the President of the Moldova Foundation in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n

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