International representatives discuss whether to add chrysotile asbestos to hazardous chemical treaty

On Monday, representatives from 143 countries met in Geneva to discuss whether chrysotile asbestos "should be added to an international treaty regulating the trade in hazardous chemicals," CBC Radio reports. The mineral is mostly mined in Canada and the government has "been anxious to keep asbestos off the list," the news service reports (6/20).

In related news, a study published in the journal Respirology says deaths from asbestos-related diseases will surge in Asia over the next 20 years, the New York Times reports. "Asia now accounts for 64 percent of the world's asbestos use ... but for only about 13 percent of the asbestos-related deaths in World Health Organization mortality data," the newspaper writes. "India, China and some other large Asian countries do not record asbestos data, so their official death counts are probably artificially low, the study said" (McNeil, 6/20).