The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO), is denying allegations by the Lancet medical journal that they have come under the influence of the Russian asbestos industry.
In a February 2 article in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal, the writer questioned whether the IARC has fallen prey to "corporate capture" by the asbestos industry in Russia, even though WHO has been behind a consistent push to end the use of the material worldwide. The article goes on to suggest that the agency might be behind the campaign to keep chrysotile – "white" – asbestos off a list of hazardous substances. The IARC denies the allegations.
In a statement to the Toronto Star, representatives from both agencies called the Lancet article "erroneous."
"The Lancet report is poorly researched and contains a number of false allegations and unfounded inferences," the statement said. "The Agency has extensive experience of conducting important research whilst protecting itself from undue influence from a variety of stakeholders with vested interests."
In the past, Canada has been at the forefront of the campaign to protect the export of chrysotile, primarily because it was once the top exporter of this particular type of asbestos. Now it seems Russia has replaced Canada in that role.
Currently, chrysotile asbestos is the only form of the mineral that's not included on the UN Rotterdam Convention, a list of controlled hazardous substances. The issue of the inclusion of white asbestos is about to arise again in April, when member states meet to address the list. The decision to include any material on the list must be unanimous and, thus far, Canada has been the dissenting vote. But the asbestos industry in Canada is now defunct, leaving Russia as the world's largest export of the material. So, it's natural for that country to assume the position once put forth by Canada, explains the authors.
The continuous blocking of chrysotile from the hazardous substance list has angered many, including some Canadians. "Russia is the world's leading exporter of asbestos by far and it is the centre of propaganda and corrupt science on asbestos," said Kathleen Ruff, a senior human rights adviser at the Rideau Institute in Ottawa who was quoted in the Lancet article, expressing her concerns about the issue.
The article notes that concerns about the IARC's collusion with the Russian asbestos industry were first raised in November, when the agency accepted an invitation to attend a conference in Kiev, Ukraine.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen and researchers have stated that all types of the mineral, including chrysotile, are dangerous and can cause mesothelioma and other serious diseases.
