Geoecological problems in asbestos mining, processing and disposal in Russia and abroad in relation with international agreements

The scientific and applied field of geoecology is discussed, i.e., the impact of asbestos, and, in particular, chrysotile on human health and the environment. An exceptional feature of asbestos is the “volatility” of its fibers at all stages of its management, from extraction to burial. It is this specific property that causes carcinogenic and fibrogenic hazard of dust and asbestos fibers to humans. This caused many countries to reject the use of asbestos. The entire chain of asbestos management activities also negatively affects ecosystem components, such as soils, ground- and surface water, and vegetation. The asbestos management problems lie in the field of geoenvironmental tasks. The parties to the Geneva, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions (ratified by the USSR and the Russian Federation) and other international organizations have been working for a long time on the study of the human impact of asbestos, as well as the development of requirements and regulations limiting and regulate issues of safe environmental management. Against this background, a conflict of interests arose based, on the one hand, on the demand of many countries to include chrysotile asbestos extracted in the Russian Federation in the list of especially dangerous substances of the Rotterdam Convention, and on the other – the opposition of a number of countries exporting and importing asbestos. The demand for asbestos has fallen significantly in the world, but it is also falling in Russia. In this connection, manufacturers record songs and draw comics in every possible way, give lectures at universities, and try to popularize the mineral. The purpose of this overview paper is to draw attention to the need for scientific research to make unambiguous and informed decisions regarding the management of asbestos and its waste.