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. 2018 Mar 16;15(3):531.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030531.

Trends and the Economic Effect of Asbestos Bans and Decline in Asbestos Consumption and Production Worldwide

Lucy P Allen  1 , Jorge Baez  2 , Mary Elizabeth C Stern  3 , Ken Takahashi  4 , Frank George  5
Affiliations

Trends and the Economic Effect of Asbestos Bans and Decline in Asbestos Consumption and Production Worldwide

Lucy P Allen et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Although some countries have reduced asbestos consumption and instituted bans, other countries continue to produce and consume asbestos even as asbestos-related deaths mount and the associated societal costs are high. Asbestos production and consumption has declined globally; the number of bans has increased; and the speed at which countries have tapered off consumption has increased. Using country-level data, we study the economic impact of historical changes in the production and use of asbestos. We compare changes in gross domestic product (GDP) following the enactment of asbestos bans. We do not find any significant effect on GDP following an asbestos ban. In a regional case study, we compare changes in GDP and employment with changes in asbestos production. Regional-level data revealed a temporary employment decline at the local level that was then reversed.

Keywords: asbestos; bans; employment; gross domestic product; mesothelioma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Per Capita Asbestos Consumption of Individual Countries, 1920–2013. Notes and Sources: Asbestos consumption data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Excludes negative asbestos consumption values.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Time from Peak Consumption to 75% Decline. Notes and Sources: Asbestos consumption data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Excludes countries that consumed less than or equal to 250,000 metric tons in total between 1920 and 2013, and current consumers whose consumption has not declined below 25% of peak consumption.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Quebec Asbestos Production and GDP Per Capita, 1981–2014. Notes and Sources: Asbestos production data from the U.S. Geological Survey. GDP and population data from Statistics Canada. GDP data are in constant 2007 prices. Rest of Canada GDP per capita excludes Quebec’s GDP and population and is pegged to the value of Quebec’s GDP per capita in 1981. The majority of Canada’s asbestos production took place in Quebec.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Employment in Chaudère-Appalaches and Estrie, Quebec. Notes and Sources: Employment data from Statistics Canada.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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