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Significance of the Presence of Asbestos in Construction and Demolition Wastes in India

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Advances in Waste Management

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Abstract

Construction and demolition (C&D) wastes, typically referred to as “debris”, is continuously generated and is being seen as an urban nuisance in the last three decades in the developing world, particularly in India. The unrestricted use of asbestos has led to the generation of high levels of friable asbestos, which is directly linked to mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer due to asbestosis. In the Indian context, exposure to asbestos can be attributed to asbestos mining, asbestos cement (AC) industries, asbestos product manufacturing and processing units and renovation and demolition of old asbestos-cemented building roofs and other insulation materials. A major portion of C&D waste comes from the demolition of old buildings. The present study deals with the analysis of current patterns of asbestos production, import and usage, thus examining, quantifying and forecasting asbestos-containing C&D wastes. Weathered 30-year-old AC roof sheets and pipes were analysed using analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscope (SEM) fitted with EDX prime energy-dispersive analysis system. The study points out that the asbestos fibres are encapsulated in cement matrix but the hazardous characteristic of the chrysotile is not altered, and this can be a matter of great concern as these fibres can be released into the atmosphere due to demolition activity or ageing.

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Acknowledgements

Authors acknowledge the co-funding from Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay for this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India

    Richa Singh, J. M. Vivek & Shyam R. Asolekar

  2. Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, 400 076, India

    Bakul Rao

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  1. Richa Singh
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  2. J. M. Vivek
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  3. Bakul Rao
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  4. Shyam R. Asolekar
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Correspondence to Shyam R. Asolekar .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India

    Ajay S. Kalamdhad

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Jiwan Singh

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, India

    Kondusamy Dhamodharan

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Singh, R., Vivek, J.M., Rao, B., Asolekar, S.R. (2019). Significance of the Presence of Asbestos in Construction and Demolition Wastes in India. In: Kalamdhad, A., Singh, J., Dhamodharan, K. (eds) Advances in Waste Management . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0215-2_21

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