The Asbestos Remediation: The Experience of the Lazio Region

Pacchiarotti L¹, Carai A², Malerba RM¹, Chiodo A², Corea F³, Dari S⁴* and Aquilani S³

¹School of Specialization in Hygiene and Public Health, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Italy ²Regional Reference Center for Asbestos, ASL (Local Health Authority) of Viterbo, Italy ³Public Health and Hygiene Service, ASL (Local Health Authority) of Viterbo, Italy ⁴Vaccination Program Coordination, ASL (Local Health Authority) of Viterbo, Italy Keywords: Asbestos; Remediation; Removal; Disposal; Storage; Transportation; Public Health

Abbreviations

ACM: Asbestos-Containing Materials; CRRA: Regional Asbestos Reference Center.

Introduction

The term asbestos refers to a group of silicates characterized by their ability to crystallize in fibrous form. Due to its chemical properties, asbestos has high resistance to fire and heat, as well as to the action of chemical and biological agents, abrasion, and wear. It is also a good electrical insulator. These exceptional technical characteristics, combined with relatively low costs, have contributed to its widespread use in a wide range of applications over just a little more than a century [1].

The same morphological and structural characteristics of asbestos fibers, so crucial to their technical properties, are also responsible for their harmful effects on health. All asbestos fibers, in fact, tend to split longitudinally into thinner fibrils with diameters fine enough (less than 3 microns) to be inhaled and penetrate deeply into the pulmonary alveoli [1]. The high resistance of asbestos fibers to acids and alkalis provides them with extraordinary bio-persistence in the lungs; once inhaled, they can lead to the development of tumors, primarily affecting the lungs, pharynx, and serous membranes (pleura, peritoneum, pericardium, tunica vaginalis of the testicle), and potentially other organs [1].

For asbestos to exert its negative effects, the fibers must disperse into the air and be inhaled. The presence of asbestos, in the absence of any mechanical disturbance, does not cause fiber release, and the risk arises from the pollution that can be released from these materials when they are pulverized [2].

With the enactment of Law 257/92 “Regulations concerning the cessation of asbestos use,” Italy also set the general goal of phasing out the use of asbestos and preventing occupational and environmental exposures. The regulatory scope includes the discontinuation of production and trade, the cessation of asbestos extraction, import, export, and utilization activities, the implementation of decontamination and remediation measures in areas affected by asbestos pollution, and the search for substitute materials [3].

To oversee remediation activities, the aforementioned law, in Article 9, mandates that companies using asbestos, either directly or indirectly in production processes, or engaged in asbestos remediation, transportation, storage, and/or disposal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM), must annually submit a detailed report to the Region and the Prevention and Safety Services of the relevant Local Health Authorities (ASL). This report must include, in addition to the types and quantities of asbestos remediated, the type of waste subjected to disposal and/or remediation, the activities and procedures applied, as well as data on workers, specifying the nature and duration of their activities, the type of exposures they face, and the measures taken to protect their health and the environment [3].

Until 2009, the only method for companies to submit these reports was on paper, to be completed without a shared format and submitted in duplicate (one for the ASL and one for the Region) [4]. This method posed several problems: the reports, often structured according to different formats, contained data that was difficult to manage and compare [4]. There was a strong need for a more effective system that could simplify communications while making the data more uniform and accessible. For this reason, in 2010, the Health Department of the Lazio Region promoted and initiated a process of simplifying notifications through the use of electronic means; on July 20, 2010, the Asbestos Study Group approved the document: ‘Unified model of the report template referred to in Article 9, paragraphs 1 and 3, of Law 257 of March 27, 1992, concerning companies that use asbestos in production processes or carry out asbestos disposal or remediation activities’ [4].

At the same time, the Regional Asbestos Reference Center (CRRA), through the website www.prevenzioneonline.net, enabled the Prevention Services of the ASLs and the Regional Administration to conduct the necessary controls more appropriately and to maintain a constantly updated overview of the asbestos phase-out process initiated by Law 257/1992 [5]. This procedure therefore had the merit of allowing dual simplification—both bureaucratic and economic—while simultaneously enabling centralized management of the collected data. Companies are simply required to fill in all the fields of the model available on the platform with their data, allowing the Public Entity to conduct accurate quality control of the information provided [5].

As in the rest of Italy, in Lazio, tons of ACM, in both compact and/or friable form, are handled each year, involving significant engagement and substantial investments by companies in the area. The data collected at the regional level is pre-selected and sent to the Prevention Departments in the territory, relieving companies of the burden of double notification; the resulting databases allow for work on finally homogeneous, easily readable, and comparable data, enabling cross-checks and monitoring, including the potential integration of different risk images, thanks to the possibility of georeferencing sites through a GIS system [5].

Starting in 2010, the old method of submitting reports was gradually replaced by the more efficient and effective electronic one [6]. Over the years, paper reports have decreased until they eventually disappeared, leaving only those submitted electronically [7] (Table 1).

Furthermore, the implementation of a feedback service between companies and the CRRA (Regional Asbestos Reference Center) since 2012 has proven to be important. Through this service, companies can express and justify their assessments, which serves as a starting point for CRRA technicians to offer increasingly effective support by addressing the reported issues [8].

Materials and Methods

The study compared data from companies operating in the asbestos sector within the Lazio Region for the period 2012-2022, collected and processed by the U.O.C. Regional Asbestos Reference Center and published as annual reports under Article 9 of Law 257/92 on the website www. prevenzioneonline.net. For each report extracted from the aforementioned site, the data analyzed included:

• The method of transmission of annual reports by individual companies;
• Remediation activities through the removal of ACM, broken down into friable, compact, and total ACM in terms of interventions and quantities in tons;
• ACM remediation interventions through confinement and/or encapsulation during the decade 2012-2022;
• ACM transportation interventions in the decade 2012- 2022;
• Removal, transportation, and storage activities of ACM in tons;
• Territorial distribution of companies operating in the sector in 2022.

Conclusion

The data received demonstrate the utility of the IT tools provided by the CRRA to companies. As regulations to protect public health and the environment concerning asbestos operations become more refined, the use of software that simplifies administrative procedures while significantly reducing costs in terms of time and resources becomes increasingly important. It is hoped that the electronic data entry method for asbestos operations will be extended nationwide to achieve a uniform representation of the subject. Annual data on asbestos operations in the Lazio Region show a significant volume of interventions that remains relatively stable over the years, following an initial surge in removals from 2012 to 2014, and alternating decreases in remediation, transportation, storage, and/ or disposal activities, as deduced from the mandatory reports for companies using the ‘Unified Model’ approved by the Asbestos Study Group of the Lazio Region. Given the substantial quantities of ACM still present in our territory, the CRRA, drawing on experiences from other Italian regions, is considering the possibility of experimenting with a self- collection remediation technique: an opportunity for private citizens to safely remove small amounts of well-preserved compact ACM from their homes and/or related premises and deliver it to the public service through a dedicated home collection circuit. This could provide an effective solution for managing asbestos removal at the local level, particularly for small-scale residential interventions, contributing to the wider effort of reducing ACM presence in the community.

Regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of companies dealing with asbestos in the Lazio Region, data analysis shows that the remediation sector in 2020-2022 did not suffer negative effects from the pandemic or the state of emergency it caused, nor from the Russo- Ukrainian conflict.

Indeed, the quantity of ACM removed is consistent with that of previous years. This is likely due to many clients, especially public ones, taking advantage of the absence of people in their properties to carry out remediation work, such as interventions in school buildings.

Looking ahead, the continued evolution and integration of digital tools in asbestos management, alongside innovative remediation techniques such as self-collection, offer significant potential to further enhance efficiency and safety in asbestos operations. By fostering a more streamlined, cost-effective, and standardized approach to managing asbestos risks, the Lazio Region can serve as a model for broader national efforts to mitigate the long- term public health and environmental impacts of asbestos. Expanding these initiatives on a national scale will be critical to ensuring comprehensive and sustainable solutions for asbestos removal and disposal across Italy.