Mongolia: Failure of Total Banning of Asbestos.

The primary uses of asbestos in Mongolia are in thermal power plants, construction and at railway companies. There is, however, limited data on both asbestos consumption and asbestos related disease (ARD) in Mongolia. The purpose of this paper is to report on the failure to completely ban asbestos in Mongolia. To write this paper, available asbestos related literature, published nationally and internationally, and legal regulations, national standards and guidelines on asbestos control were reviewed. Mongolia consumed a total of 44,421.9 metric tons of asbestos containing materials (AMCs) between 1996 and 2014. As a key indicator of ARD, 54 cases of mesothelioma were diagnosed at the National Cancer Center by pathological testing of tissue samples between 1994 and 2013. In 2010, The government made the decision to stop all types of asbestos use under the Law on Toxic and Hazardous Substances. However, there was no nationwide action plan to gradually reduce asbestos use, promote substitutes and raise awareness of health hazards and economic burdens in the future from asbestos use. There was also no planning for safe removal of asbestos currently in place. After the banning of asbestos, thermal power plants told the government that they could not produce electricity without insulation of AMCs and substitution materials were economically not feasible. Due to pressure from the energy sector and inadequate awareness of asbestos hazards, the government changed the legal status on asbestos in 2011 as a restricted chemical. Asbestos is still allowed to be used, and workers and the general community are still unnecessarily exposed to this carcinogen.

Diseases-attributable disability-adjusted life years in copper and molybdenum ore workers in Mongolia: 1999-2019.

Most illnesses and deaths in industry workers are associated with occupational diseases (ODs). In recent years, mining has grown rapidly into a major driver of the Mongolian economy. In this study, the organization-based registry data on OD incidence and mortality from the archival data of the 'Erdenet' Copper and Molybdenum Concentrator Plant in Mongolia were used. We estimated the ODs burden in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) loss between 1999 and 2019. A total of 72,802 DALYs were lost over 20 years, of which 97.5% were due to years lived with disability and 2.5% for years of life lost. The disease burden was high in men, accounting for 76.8% of total DALY. In terms of age groups, among people aged 46-55, DALY accounted for the largest percentage of losses. We found that workplace dust, noise, ergonomics, and vibration were the main factors attributed to the DALYs during the past two decades.

Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors Among a Cohort of Mine Workers in Mongolia.

OBJECTIVE: Prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD) is growing among workers globally, causing 71% of all premature deaths. We determined baseline prevalence of risk factors among mine workers. METHOD: One thousand one hundred sixty-nine employees were randomly recruited to a cross-sectional study. The study focused on key risk factors of hypertension, obesity, alcohol use, and smoking status. These factors are known key contributors to NCD risk. RESULTS: Results of the study showed prevalence's of hypertension 12.9%, obesity 64.1%, alcohol users 22.1%, and smokers 38.8%. The general population prevalence's are 27.5%, 56.8%, 15.5%, and 24.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of hypertension for the study cohort was lower than general population which may be the healthy worker effect. Obesity, alcohol use, and smoking rates however, were slightly higher in the study cohort. Reducing the prevalence of risk factors will require significant resources.

Asbestos Consumption in Mongolia: 1996-2014.

Asbestos is still used in Mongolia in the energy and construction sectors, among others. However, limited data is available on asbestos consumption and asbestos-related disease in Mongolia. The purpose of this paper is to present the available information on the importation of asbestos into Mongolia. We used data on annual asbestos imports between 1996 and 2014 from Mongolian Customs Statistics and the National Council on Toxic and Hazardous Substances Affairs. The uses of this material are also presented with respect to chrysotile alone. Most asbestos is used for construction. Mongolia started using asbestos in the energy and construction industries as thermal insulation in 1961. Asbestos is still allowed for use in Mongolia under the Law on Toxic and Hazards Substances. There are no asbestos mines in Mongolia, and the manufacture of asbestos-containing materials does not take place there. Thus, asbestos is mainly imported from China and Russia. Mongolia used 44,422 metric tons of asbestos-containing materials between 1996 and 2014. In Mongolia, with the current use of asbestos, there will be a continuing risk of developing asbestos-related diseases from past use, and proper oversight of asbestos-involving activities and the safe removal and disposal of asbestos must be considered.

Exposure to airborne asbestos in thermal power plants in Mongolia.

BACKGROUND: Coal-fired thermal power plants (TPPs) in Mongolia use various types of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in thermal insulation of piping systems, furnaces, and other products. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occupational exposure of insulation workers to airborne asbestos in Mongolian power plants. METHODS: Forty-seven air samples were collected from four power plants in Mongolia during the progress of insulation work. The samples were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: The average phase contrast microscopy equivalent (PCME) asbestos fiber concentration was 0·93 f/cm(3). Sixteen of the 41 personal and one of the area samples exceeded the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US OSHA) short-term exposure limit of 1·0 f/cm(3). If it is assumed that the short-term samples collected are representative of full-shift exposure, then the exposures are approximately 10 times higher than the US OSHA 8-hour permissible exposure limit of 0·1 f/cm(3). CONCLUSION: Power plant insulation workers are exposed to airborne asbestos at concentrations that exceed the US OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit. Action to mitigate the risks should be taken in Mongolia.

Mesothelioma in Mongolia: case report.

BACKGROUND: More than 80% of cases of mesothelioma worldwide have a history of asbestos exposure. In Mongolia, workers in coal burning thermal power plants (TPP) have widely utilized asbestos as an insulation material. METHODS: We describe the case of a 47-year-old woman diagnosed with a malignant pleural mesothelioma. She worked in a TPP in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for 28 years. RESULTS: A computer tomography (CT) scan showed a circumferential ring around her left lung, and tissues' samples had a biphasic variant of mesothelioma with epithelioid and sarcomatoid components. DISCUSSION: This is the first reported case of mesothelioma in Mongolia. We expect additional cases of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos related diseases, will be identified in the future. In order to properly track asbestos related diseases in the country, we recommend the creation of an asbestos related disease registry.