Asbestos Exposure from Unexpected Places: Marble, Wastes, and a Tourist Attraction all in One. A Story from India.

Asbestos exposures can occur even in unexpected locations. A recent journal article titled “Marble Waste Dump Yard in Rajasthan, India Revealed as a Potential Asbestos Hazard” is an excellent example. A copy of the full article is at https://theasbestosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-India.pdf. The article acknowledges that asbestos studies and regulations focusing on mining and buildings are readily available but that “[t]he hazards of asbestos as unintended byproducts have not been as extensively considered.” Please note that Arthur Frank is the fourth listed author of the article. Typically, that means he helped on the article, but was not the primary research author.

The article focuses on marble waste dump yards in Rajasthan, India. The authors focus on the geology (asbestos within the marble), human interactions (cutting and installing marble such as for countertops), waste material (marble slurry containing asbestos), and polluting a tourist area. It acknowledges that India continues to import and use asbestos fibers, but that the under-reporting of this exposure is a “big concern, as there can be brief unknown and para-occupational exposures.”

Rather than delve into the details of the exposures, which seems to be consistent with asbestos mishandling in general within the Global South, my favorite parts of the article are the detailed conclusions and recommendation by the authors that are applicable world-wide. I note as follows:

1. Asbestos-related diseases are significant in India and have been seen to be on a rise across the world.
2. The marble industry poses an occupational and environmental hazard to workers, people in proximity, and the environment by creating and exposing the asbestos fibers.
3. Wide-scale monitoring and testing is justified.
4. Personal protection equipment and dust reduction efforts are required.
5. Cancer should be notifiable and databased for information to track.
6. Developing guidelines for use in homes and buildings exposed during cutting, grinding, and polishing.

Interestingly, asbestos exposure from marble like products has been a much bigger deal in the U.K. and Australia, than in the United States. That is likely to change over time.

Let me know what you think by either leaving a comment or sending me an email at TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com. Thanks. Marty