47K deaths per year v. billions to remove the substance
The total number of asbestos-related deaths in Europe could peak at 47,000 per year -- 50% higher than previously believed and double the number of deaths caused by road accidents – according to an expert who spoke last month at a conference entitled, Freeing Europe Safely from Asbestos.
Although its use has been banned in the European Union (EU) since 2005, asbestos is still found in many places including ships, trains, machinery, and tunnels as well as in pipes in public and private water distribution networks. Asbestos was used extensively in buildings erected between 1961 and 1990.