Australian authorities say multiple sites in Sydney are contaminated with asbestos

The contamination was discovered in January when asbestos was found in a Sydney playground, and subsequent investigations discovered it in recycled cladding near the park, which was built above an underground road interchange.

Since then, in the state's largest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation in decades, 32 sites in the city have tested positive for bonded asbestos.

The skyline of the Central Business District (CBD) is pictured at sunset in Sydney. Photo: Reuters

The EPA said the new sites where asbestos was found were a public school and park in the city's north and two residential developments under construction in Sydney's southwest.

The University of Sydney has also been identified as potentially contaminated and will be tested later this week. “Since January 10, EPA has taken nearly 300 samples. The positive rate is approximately 10%,” the EPA said.

Authorities this week sealed off areas in several contaminated Sydney parks, forcing the cancellation of Sunday's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair, which usually attracts tens of thousands of revellers, after traces of asbestos were found around the venue.

Transport projects, primary schools, warehouses and hospitals were also confirmed to be contaminated.

In response, the New South Wales government has established a dedicated asbestos task force to provide additional resources and support to the EPA as it investigates the growing contamination.

Asbestos became popular in the late 19th century as a way to reinforce cement and make it fireproof, but later research found that inhaling asbestos fibres could cause lung inflammation and cancer. It is now banned in many parts of the world.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral characterized by long, thin fibrous crystals, each of which may consist of millions of tiny fibers and can be released into the air.

Asbestos has been mined for over 4,000 years, especially in the late 19th century, when manufacturers and builders began using asbestos for its physical properties: soundproofing, durability, low cost, fire resistance, thermal insulation and electrical insulation. These properties made asbestos a very widely used material until the late 20th century.

According to the WHO, inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause serious and fatal diseases, including lung cancer and melanoma. In the 1980s and 1990s, the trade and use of asbestos was severely restricted, phased out or banned altogether in a number of countries, including the European Union, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chinh-quyen-uc-nhieu-dia-diem-o-sydney-bi-nhiem-amiang-post284737.html