Asbestos: The Silent Killer That Still Threatens Communities Worldwide

Despite being banned or heavily regulated in many parts of the world, asbestos remains a dangerous and often overlooked threat. Recent reports from Japan and Gaza serve as grim reminders that asbestos is far from a problem of the past. In Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, the devastation caused by the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake revealed crocidolite asbestos—one of the most lethal forms—exposed and scattered across a damaged hotel. Volunteers helping with recovery efforts were unknowingly at risk, breathing in fibers that can cause deadly illnesses decades later.

Similarly, in Gaza, military strikes have reduced vast areas to rubble—rubble contaminated with asbestos. With an estimated 2.3 million tons of debris potentially laden with toxic fibers, the threat to civilians, including children, is profound. Amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises, the invisible danger of asbestos exposure adds another tragic layer to the suffering of already vulnerable populations.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral composed of microscopic fibers, as thin as a fraction of a human hair. It is a naturally occurring silicate mineral, composed of microscopic fibers so fine that they are thinner than a fraction of a human hair. Geologically, asbestos forms in metamorphic rocks—especially serpentinites, amphibolites, and altered ultramafic rocks—under conditions of high pressure and relatively low temperature. Over millions of years, hydrothermal processes and chemical alteration of magnesium-rich rocks give rise to fibrous structures of minerals like chrysotile (white asbestos) and the much more dangerous crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos). These naturally formed fibers are extraordinarily durable, flexible, and resistant to heat and chemicals—properties that led to their widespread use in construction and industrial materials before their deadly health consequences were fully understood.

Once inhaled, these fibers can lodge deep within lung tissues, causing irreversible damage. Health consequences such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and the aggressive cancer mesothelioma often only appear 20 to 60 years after exposure.

What makes asbestos particularly terrifying is that even minimal exposure can be fatal. Crocidolite, also known as "blue asbestos," is especially hazardous, and it was this exact type discovered scattered in Suzu's hotel ruins. In Gaza, the threat compounds daily as civilians, rescue workers, and children navigate the remains of bombed-out neighborhoods without any means of protection or awareness.

Experts compare the situation in Gaza to the aftermath of the 9/11 World Trade Center collapse, where toxic dust clouds led to thousands of deaths and long-term illnesses. However, the situation in Gaza is exponentially worse due to the sheer scale of destruction, the lack of resources, and the persistent conflict preventing safe cleanup efforts.

The persistence of asbestos in disaster-stricken areas exposes a crucial failure in global disaster response and building regulation enforcement. Whether through earthquakes, wars, or negligent construction practices, when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, the health consequences can span generations.

Urgent measures must be taken wherever asbestos is present: immediate sealing or removal of exposed materials, public health advisories for workers and civilians, and long-term health monitoring programs for affected communities. In Gaza, experts warn that the removal of contaminated rubble must be managed meticulously to prevent an even larger health disaster.

The world cannot afford to underestimate asbestos any longer. Its lethal legacy is being written right now—in every breath taken near a collapsed building where the fine, invisible fibers linger.