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Since 2017, the extraction and sale of asbestos has been banned in Brazil by the Supreme Federal Court (STF). However, this ruling did not prevent the state of Goiás from authorizing the extraction of chrysotile asbestos last Tuesday (16). The law stipulates that the extracted material must be used exclusively for export.
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The law was proposed by the Legislative Assembly and signed by Governor Ronaldo Caiado. Goiás holds Brazil's only mineral reserve of chrysotile asbestos, and the economic interest in exploiting the resource has never been hidden. In fact, senators recently visited the Sama mining company in the municipality of Minaçu to advocate for authorizing the extraction of the material.
The case is more complex than it appears at first glance. Sama began commercial asbestos production in Brazil in 1938 in Bahia, before expanding its investments to Goiás in the 1960s. Other states also produced the material on a smaller scale until 1995. Asbestos is a commercial name for a diverse group of minerals divided into two groups: chrysotile and amphiboles. The latter was banned worldwide due to its proven carcinogenic properties; however, a 1995 Brazilian law allowed the extraction of chrysotile asbestos. It was not until 2017 that Supreme Court justices ruled the article permitting its use unconstitutional.
Following this ruling, Sama's operations in Minaçu were halted in February of this year, leading to the layoff of 400 employees in May. Since then, the company has been seeking legal avenues to bypass the ban. Lacking alternative employment options, many local residents naturally support the company.
But is chrysotile really less harmful, as its defenders claim? This is a long-standing debate. Unsurprisingly, European countries have completely banned asbestos, and Brazil's National Cancer Institute (INCA) links it to various illnesses, including cancer, making no distinction between types. Numerous studies have shown that both forms cause so many health issues that arguments defending either type are untenable. "Both equally cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, among many other diseases. It is a proven human carcinogen, established through extensive and overwhelmingly redundant evidence," states physician René Mendes in an article summarizing the health effects of inhaling asbestos fibers. The paper references several national and international studies throughout the text.
Via CicloVivo.
This article was written by Marcia Sousa. The translation is powered by AI.
