Asbestos is widespread in Malta's households but few are aware they are living with the substance. Caroline Muscat speaks to experts on whether there are risks involved and what precautions can be taken.
Asbestos was regarded as the miracle mineral fibre, embraced with fervour and used in a wide range of materials installed in homes and offices. Contrary to popular belief, asbestos is not a problem of the past - its presence is widespread in Malta.
Malta has some 5,000 cubic metres of asbestos still installed in buildings, according to the latest solid waste management plan. Although experts say it is impossible to quantify precisely just how widespread it is, they agree that the vast majority of people living with asbestos are unaware of it.
Chris Hudson, director and training consultant at the Institute of Health and Safety, said: "Considering how widely used asbestos was, it is reasonable to consider the presence of asbestos in some form in buildings that are more than 15-20 years old. But there is a remarkable lack of awareness of this and the dangers asbestos poses. We even see discarded asbestos lying around in the environment here."
The presence of water tanks containing asbestos is a common sight on Malta's rooftops, as are asbestos drainpipes lining the façade of buildings. It was also extensively used for flooring, and in wallboards and corrugated roofs. As well as homes and offices, asbestos is present where it is not necessarily visible, such as pipes in roads, for mains, sewage and so on.
"The big difficulty arises when people are not aware of it. If people do not suspect the presence of asbestos, they do not take the precautions necessary to avoid the fatal dangers it may present, when redecorating for example," Mr Hudson added.
Health risks from asbestos arise when materials are damaged or disturbed by repair, through remodelling or demolition activities, which cause microscopic fibres to become airborne. When inhaled, tiny asbestos fibres penetrate deep inside the lungs and chest cavity. They can also enter the body via the digestive system through ingestion. Asbestos results in conditions known collectively as 'asbestosis', which include lung cancer.
Derek Broadley of Ptmatic Ltd, a company that offers asbestos removal services, advised that the dangers are usually contained if the asbestos-containing product is not touched.
"Do not cut, drill or abrade in any way any product containing asbestos because it could release fibres," Mr Broadley said.
The key to dealing with the problem of asbestos is knowing where it is to be found, according to Mr Broadley. This means those who own buildings constructed before the 1980s or so should ask competent people to carry out inspections to identify materials in the building.
The number of deaths attributed to asbestos is very low in Malta - 60 people in the last 10 years according to the national mortality register.
This contrasts sharply with figures released in the UK last year where it kills more than 4,000 people a year (more than the number of deaths from road accidents) according to the Health and Safety Executive. This figure is expected to rise to 5,000 each year over the next few years. Stephen Montefort, who specialises in respiratory health diseases, said under-diagnosis in Malta is possible since asbestosis is difficult to diagnose.
There is a latency period of 20 to 30 years between exposure to hazards and the development of a disease and most victims that Prof. Montefort has come across were dockyard workers.
Last May, 20 dockyard workers filed lawsuits claiming the authorities violated their human rights by withholding vital information that exposure to asbestos was lethal. They claimed they were all affected by their exposure to the deadly substance and have medical records to support their case. Ships containing asbestos in their structures were entering the dockyard as recently as the late 1990s, one of the lawyers representing the workers said.
Asbestos has claimed its victims, but the old adage 'out of sight, out of mind' is nowhere more relevant. Four decades after the first warnings of the menace of asbestos, there is still much work to be done to actively gather evidence of the true scope of its legacy. But enough knowledge exists to impose the need for vigilance.
cmuscat@timesofmalta.com