Reviewing Kazakhstan’s Asbestos Industry as a Case Study on Worldwide Asbestos Consumption and Usage

By: Aleena Bacorro, Winsor School

Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that is typically caused by exposure to asbestos. Despite the proven carcinogenic effects of asbestos, many countries still produce, export, and/or import asbestos. In this review, I studied Kazakhstan, one of the world's largest asbestos producers, to better understand why a nation continues to be a part of the global asbestos production industry, and, why the asbestos industry continues to thrive. In order to do so, I read articles, analyzed death rates, and investigated economic trends. Eventually, I learned that the asbestos industry places countries in a vicious cycle where, despite the negative effects of manufacturing asbestos, nations may find that the economic advantages of continuing to export the substance outweigh the costs. The industry has trapped governments into investing in a product that, if left unchecked, can cause a mesothelioma epidemic in communities that do not yet have the means to treat it.