Asbestos Content in Ceramic Floor Tile or Ceramic Wall Tile?

Do or did ceramic floor tiles or wall tiles ever contain asbestos?
- Do or did ceramic tile grout, bedding compounds, thin-set mortars, or tile-set mastics contain asbestos?
- Do other non-ceramic tiles such as terrazzo contain asbestos?
- What are the health hazards that may be encountered, asbestos or otherwise, when removing, demolishing, or repairing ceramic tile surfaces or working in art studios?
- Demolition or remodeling advice for old ceramic tile floors or walls
Mastic Used with Floor Tiles - separate article
Questions & Answers about the asbestos content in ceramic tiles
References

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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

This article answers the questions: do or did ceramic wall or floor tiles contain asbestos? and do or did tile grout, tile bedding compounds, thin-set mortars, or tile mastic used with ceramic tiles contain asbestos? We explain the ingredients in ceramic floor tiles, cite authoritative research on the presence or absence of asbestos in these ceramic tile, or its absence, and we point to sources of confusion about the question of which ceramic products (tiles, pottery, filters) contain or ever contained asbestos as a filler or as a fiber strengthener. We report on an international survey of certified asbestos testing laboratories who were asked for their experience in receiving ceramic tile samples or mortar/grout samples and testing them for asbestos content.

Does Ceramic Floor Tile or Ceramic Wall Tile Contain Asbestos?

For information about choosing & installing ceramic tile floors or walls, see FLOOR, CERAMIC TILE.. Also see ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION. Asbestos content in other flooring is described at FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS.

Is asbestos found non-resilient flooring such as ceramic floor tiles?

Our page top photo illustrates a fragment-section of old ceramic floor tile. At left we show a side-view or cross-section of how this old ceramic floor tile was installed by bedding it directly into concrete. We would not expect to find evidence of asbestos in this tile installation.

This example was found in a pile of demolition debris left at a building renovation site. The tile was set into and well bonded to concrete, and was removed under wet conditions.

The short answer for now appears to be "yes and no" as follows:

Ceramic floor and wall tile produced in North America would not be expected to contain asbestos. However you may find asbestos in some tile grouts and thinset tile mastics and possibly in hand-made tiles made as part of an art project using art clay.
Ceramic floor and wall tile produced outside of North America may contain asbestos depending on where it was produced and what additives were intentionally or accidentally included by the manufacturer. This may be true particularly for files produced in the Mediterranean area.[44]
Non-ceramic floor tiles such as terrazzo floor tiles (and possibly some unglazed ceramic quarry tiles), produced both in the U.S. and from other countries may contain asbestos depending on its formula. Some "manmade" "terrazzo" consisting of concrete, marble, and/or epoxy alone won't contain asbestos.

Details, including authoritative citations and an ongoing survey of the results of tile testing at asbestos testing labs in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Korea, the U. K. and other locales are provided below.

OPINION: researching this question we find that the dominant opinion among experts and amateurs is that ceramic tiles are made of clay subjected to high temperatures and finished with a hard glazed surface. Not asbestos.

If there are some ceramic tiles whose clay source included asbestos or to which asbestos was added [a topic of ongoing research that we report and update below] the tiles are nevertheless a non-friable material that would not normally be a hazardous source of asbestos in buildings. Non-friable materials are hard and do not easily release particles into the indoor environment.

Watch out: grinding, tile-saw cutting, sanding or similar activities performed on ceramic tiles of any composition could produce fine dust and debris that should be controlled and treated as a respiratory hazard, asbestos-containing or not. See ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines.

Our photo (above left) illustrates antique ceramic tiles photographed by the author in Barcelona.

So Do Ceramic Floor or Wall Tiles Contain Dangerous Levels of Asbestos or Not ? - research question status

Deliberate Inclusion of Asbestos as an Add-in to Ceramic Tiles?

Asbestos could have been included in some ceramic floor tile formulas into the 1970's as a filler or in fiber form as a strengthener. At least one asbestos testing lab director reports that asbestos is found in ceramic tiles made in some parts of the world such as the Mediterranean area and in unglazed terrazzo (non-ceramic) tiles.[44]

Don't Confuse Asphalt-based or Vinyl-based Asbestos-containing Flooring with Ceramic Products

In our flooring photograph at left, the floor and stair tiles may be vinyl-asphalt or vinyl-asbestos floor tiles but they are not a ceramic product. For information about asbestos-containing vinyl or asphalt-based floor tiles, see ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION.

Certainly as we see in Rosato [23], the asbestos industry was constantly looking for uses of asbestos mining waste products that included granular asbestos dust and short asbestos fibers.

Although we cite field and lab reports above, we have not yet located an authoritative reference source (text, journal article, government document) that documents the deliberate or accidental inclusion of asbestos material added to modern (20th century and later) ceramic floor or wall tiles. Please contact us if you have such information.

In contrast, it is certain asbestos was used in those forms in vinyl-asbestos flooring (a different material from ceramic tiles). And as we document below, asbestos was used in mixture with ceramic fibers (for certain products such as filters) and in ancient pottery applications.

Our photo (left) illustrates a floor tile installation in Barcelona, Spain. These floor tiles are estimated at more than 50 years old.

What is the Composition of Ceramic Tiles & is there Accidental Inclusion of Asbestos in Clays Mined for Use in Producing Traditional Ceramic Tiles?

The term "clay" refers to both a particle size (smaller than 2-4mm) and a type of rock or mineral comprised of fine-grained sheet silicates.[48] The fine-grained clays used to manufacture ceramic tiles include basically compounds of silica, alumina, and varying amounts of metallic oxides and other impurities. [32] Ceramic tiles are made from natural clay [such as Cretaceous clays [30] (not asbestos)] or porcelain, and are glazed or un-glazed.

Typical ceramic tile composition (in more detail) includes 33% refractory clay, 20% quartz, 45% sodium feldspar. Other sources list common tile ingredients including aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, and quartz (silicon dioxide). Other ceramics have more complex formulas.

Ceramic tiles are made of clay (predominantly feldspar), water, and some mineral additives, processed with high heat to solidify the product and whose top or exposed surface is sealed with a glaze.

Porcelain tiles are a harder ceramic tile made of kaolin mixed with china stone, or in other sources, by using ground sand. Porcelain is heated to a higher temperature than other ceramics (more than 2000 degF) and is more dense than ceramic materials made of clay.

Many other materials have been included in clays used in making various ceramic products since the Stone Age (pottery) and continue to be added to give special properties or colors to modern ceramic tiles, including perlite, fly ash, granite stone grinding and cutting waste, etc. Indeed expert sources date the oldest known ceramics date to 27,000 BCE.

The oldest known ceramics made by humans are figurines found in the former Czechoslovakia that are thought to date from around 27,000 B.C.E. It was determined that the figurines were made by mixing clay with bone, animal fat, earth, and bone ash (the ash that results when animal bones are heated to a high temperature), molding the mixture into a desired shape, and heating it in a domed pit. The manufacture of functional objects such as pots, dishes, and storage vessels, was developed in ancient Greece and Egypt during the period 9000 to 6000 B.C.E. [33]

We have not found a citation that includes asbestos among these. Contact us if you have related information.

List of Authoritative sources reporting the use of [or absence of] asbestos in any form of ceramic floor tiles

Asbestos-containing ceramics, including wall tile or floor tile, or other flooring materials such as tile mastic: [excluding resilient flooring discussed separately at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION]
- Cement asbestos slates were described in the Journal of Hazardous Materials as [safely] recyclable in production of stoneware tile mixtures in 2008 [27] and a procedure for producing [safe] lightweight ceramic materials by a process bonding chrysotile asbestos fibers was described by Mackenzie and Meinhold in 1994. [28]
- ACM flooring underlayment [underlayment is not ceramic tile itself ] has been found under flooring in demolition projects, a practice that can extend to ceramic floor tiles [4]
- Asbetic flooring: using asbestos mine waste products (largely dust and very short asbestos fibers) is described by Rosato [23]. The result was a "hard but not completely water tight" flooring material. Asbetic is a mixture of ground mother rock and the shortest, otherwise unusable asbestos fibers. [He does not name ceramic tile flooring in this category.]
- Asbestos in tile mastics: some tile mastics and adhesives including adhesives used for floor or wall tiles did contain asbestos as a filler or fiber strengthener. Traditional ceramic tile installations were bedded in cement [photo at page top], not mastic, and not an asbestos containing material. But from the 1960's some ceramic tile installations used a thin-set mortar or a thin-set mastic that might contain asbestos. For details see MASTIC, CUTBACK ADHESIVE, FLASHING CEMENT ASBESTOS
- Asbestos in tile mortar: Asbestos used as an ingredient in tile mortar is described in a patent dispute.[27]
- Survey of Accredited Laboratories for Asbestos Fiber Analysis [incomplete, survey in process March 2012][42]
Possible sources of confusion about asbestos content in ceramic floor tiles:
- Asbestos in clay products: Asbestos has been reported in art clay (such as Fibro-Clay)[37] used in schools and in pottery clay where it occurred in the form of talc added as a flux to lower the firing temperature. Talc and clay from at least one U.S. mine contained anthophyllite asbestos. It was unclear whether or not this material fell under the aegis of asbestos regulation.[36] The asbestos content of talc depended on where it was mined, and some talcs were asbestos-free[40].
  
  Depending on the quarry source there may be deliberate or accidental inclusion of asbestos in terra cotta tiles such as roofing tiles. Other clay products that may have had asbestos added in the form of talc or vermiculite (some vermiculite contains asbestos) in addition to art clays, may include clays used as pipe joint seals or insulation, and in the production of firebricks used to line the combustion chambers of heating equipment such as boilers or furnaces, and other school art projects such as paper maches.[38][39]
- Pre-historic origins of use of asbestos in clay pottery: The use asbestos-strengthened ceramic wares (pottery) dates from the Stone Age and continued throughout the Bronze Age and into the Iron Age. Specifically, asbestos fibers were used to strengthen earthenware pots and cooking utensils as long s 4,500 years ago, an application documented by various sources.[26] Also, a Wikipedia entry on Asbestos-ceramic describes pottery made with asbestos and clay [25].
- Asbestos textiles were used as safety protective clothing & gear for workers in the ceramics industries - a possible source of confusion associating the terms "ceramic tile" and "asbestos" in some search engine results. Some mesothelioma information and legal resource websites name "ceramic tiles" as containing asbestos [22] without citing an authoritative source.
- ASBESTOS List of Asbestos-Containing Products - the InspectAPedia master list of asbestos forms and asbestos-containing products, enumerates asbestos-containing-materials (ACM) using historical information derived from Rosato and other industry sources. Rosato who provided an extensive discussion of asbestos used in flooring materials, referred exclusively to the use of asbestos in resilient flooring products (such as vinyl asbestos floor tiles) and excluded non-resilient flooring (stone, slate, ceramic tile). Rosato confirms use of asbestos and clay as mixture ingredients in premix-molding-compounds and the use of asbestos fibers mixed with ceramic fibers to form filter paper for the paper making industry (these are not ceramic tile products) [23]
- Asbestos ceramic bricks: Leonelli et als. refer to the disposition of asbestos by microwave treatment of asbestos waste into ceramic bricks - another possible source of association of the words "ceramic" and "asbestos" in web searches that does not extend to ceramic tiles. National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH, USA[24]

Do ceramic tiles risk releasing harmful particles into indoor air?

Ceramic floor or wall tiles of any formula, if in good condition have a low, most likely negligible risk of releasing harmful particles or fibers into indoor air. And a ceramic tile that comes loose intact or with a single break is also unlikely to release a measurable amount of dust or particulates into the building.

Watch out: Phillip A. Peterson Vice President Fibertec Industrial Hygiene Services, Inc.[49] advises that Although the tile themselves are unlikely to contain asbestos, the grout and bedding may well contain asbestos and the demolition of the tile will likely create an exposure hazard when the grout and/or bedding are disturbed.

Ceramic floor tiles that are being demolished, ground, sanded, or cut with a tile saw, if they are old enough to have been installed when asbestos was in common use in grout, tile bedding, or (in newer homes) thin set or tile mastic, could be hazardous and should be handled appropriately.

If you are considering demolition of old ceramic floor tiles or similar materials, or are using a sander, grinder or tile saw on such materials, there could indeed be an asbestos hazard and you should follow appropriate handling, dust control, personal protection, and cleanup procedures.

If you have a segment of floor tile (or any material) tested for asbestos the test should be performed by a certified asbestos testing laboratory.

In Any Case, Better to Leave Asbestos-Containing Floor Tiles In Place

As with known or suspected asbestos-containing floor tiles (such as asphalt or vinyl-asphalt asbestos floor tiles), when it's feasible expert sources recommend leaving the original floor tile material in place and covering it over with new flooring.

Leaving asbestos-suspect flooring in place, even if you need to level the floor before it is covered with new material, is not only less costly than a professional asbestos abatement project, it also is likely to be the course with the lowest risk of asbestos dust or fiber release and contamination in the building. According to the US EPA {discussing asbestos abatement in schools] :

... In addition, abatement activities may create more of a hazard than would normally exist if the ACM were simply protected and maintained in good condition as is the case for ceramic floor tiles. ...[3]

Similar sources indicate that simple deconstruction of a building with appropriately careful disassembly of its parts may not require asbestos abatement. [4]

Details about covering-over asbestos-containing floor tiles or other ACM flooring such as resilient sheet flooring are at ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION

Special thank-you to reader A.H. who suggested clarification about the risk that ceramic wall tiles or ceramic floor tiles might contain asbestos. - Ed.

Health Hazards of Other Ceramics: Clays, Pottery, Art Studios

For potential health hazards associated with exposure to artists materials for those working with ceramics, such as clays, glazing compounds, and pigments, see our "Arts & Crafts materials, hazards & toxicity" entry at ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY and references below at [51][52][53]

Survey of Accredited Laboratories for Asbestos Fiber Analysis

Beginning in March 2012, and using the U.S. NIST directory of accredited laboratories certified for asbestos fiber analysis, [42] we polled at least one laboratory in each U.S. state, Puerto Rico, two Canadian Provinces, and laboratories in Japan and Korea, asking each if their laboratory had ever received ceramic tiles for asbestos testing and whether or not their lab had ever detected asbestos in ceramic tiles used on walls, floors, or other building services. Results will be included here.

We asked: "Can you tell us if your laboratory has ever received samples of ceramic wall or floor tile to test for asbestos, tell us if you have encountered asbestos in ceramic tiles used on walls or floors, and/or can you provide a reference to a paper, study, book, or expert who can tell us whether or not asbestos in any form was used in the production of ceramic wall tile or floor tile, or in terra-cotta or similar tile products." and we invited technical review of this article.

Survey Respondents to Date (n=55) (r=6)	Estimated Avg. Exper- ience Tile Testing3 (R = 5 - 40)	Asbestos Detected in Ceramic Floor/Wall Tiles	Estimated Total Tile Samples Tested3	Estimated Avg. Exper- ience Years Grout Testing3 (R = 4 - 40)	Asbestos Detected in Tile Grout, Bedding Mastic	Estimated 3 Total Grout Samples Tested 3
Date: 4/23/12⁽¹⁾
6	15	Never - 84% Common - 16% ⁽²⁾	540	10	Never - 25 % Rare - 50% Common - 25%	15004
Notes: (1) Survey initiated 3/8/2012 (2) Asbestos reported as extensive in ceramic tiles made out of North America, particularly in the Mediterranean area[44] (3) Our calculated estimate of total number of actual lab samples processed by laboratories responding to the survey. Based on correspondence, e.g. P. P. to D.F. 3/14/12[49] estimated less than 150" tile samples over 20 years of ceramic tile, & 200 grout & bedding samples over 8 years of testing. We estimated 6 tile samples per year or 25 grout samples per year per responding lab, and and multiplied that by known or estimated number of years of lab testing of tiles or grout. [E.g. 200 samples/8 yrs = 25 grout samples/year. 25 x 6(labs) x 10 yrs) =1500] (4) In every case the asbestos mineral has been chrysotile asbestos and the concentration of asbestos has exceeded 2 percent (making them asbestos containing materials by definition).49]

...

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Presence of Asbestos in Ceramic Wall or Floor Tiles Used in North America, Japan, Korea, the U. K., & The Mediterranean area

Question: I removed some 6" ceramic tiles that I estimate were from the late 70's or early 80's - would these ceramic tiles contain asbestos?

A few years ago I removed an area of ceramic tiles from the floor of my house. They were about 6inches square and 0.5 inches deep and were ceramic or possibly concrete. I am unsure of there age but estimate late 70s early 80s Would it have been likely that these tiles contained asbestos or were asbestos containing tiles restricted to the vinyl type? If it makes any difference our location is England. Any information you could give would be gratefully received Thanks - A.H. PS - your website is great and really useful

Reply: asbestos-ceramic tile risks, history in the UK, recommendations

From the age you give, and considering that the ceramic tiles could have been in stock for some time before they were installed, having been thus made in the 1970's, they indeed could have contained asbestos, particularly depending on the country of origin. We have some lab reports confirming asbestos in certain ceramic tiles from the Mediterranean and asbestos in some other floor tiles such as some terrazzos, but we have not yet located an authoritative source that documents that asbestos was ever used as a component of ceramic floor tiles or wall tiles.

Watch out: A more likely asbestos hazard one might encounter when removing ceramic floor or wall tiles would be an asbestos-containing tile mastic - the glue that was used to secure ceramic tiles on walls and floors in a thin-set installation methods. You would not expect to find asbestos below ceramic tiles at an older installation at which the tiles were bedded directly into cement - the "thick set" method for tile installation.

The history of asbestos use and regulation in the UK could have permitted your ceramic tiles, installed in the 1980's, to contain asbestos.

A brief-history of asbestos usage and asbestos regulation in the UK

A documented asbestos-related death in the UK occurred as early as 1906. Asbestos regulation began in the UK in 1931, and in 1965 mesothelioma had been documented there. Imports of asbestos into the U. K. peaked in 1967.

By 1970 the UK had banned the import of raw crocidolite and amosite asbestos was banned (voluntary ban) in 1980.

More strict licensing regarding asbestos handling and remediation did not begin in the UK until 1980s. The first UK Asbestos- material licensing regulations date from 1983, while in the U. K. asbestos-containing product prohibitions date from 1985 with UK asbestos material regulation amendments in 1988, 1992, 1994 and onwards to a final "comprehensive ban" in 1999. Silverdell, [7]

The actual hazard of their removal would have depended on their condition, how they were removed, and the quantity. Generally the asbestos released from ceramic tiles removed relatively intact should be quite low.

Please take a look at CERAMIC TILE, ASBESTOS in? , where we discuss ceramic floor tiles that may contain asbestos, the hazards and some recommendations.

At References at the end of this article we cite authoritative sources for that information.

...

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

[1] EPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Asbestos in Your Home, web search 08/31/2011, original source: www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html
[2] EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
[3] EPA: "Asbestos Management", U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7, original author: Todd H. Dresser, Environmental Engineer, (formerly of), Burlington Board of Health, 29 Center Street, Burlington, MA 01803, web search 3/4/2012 original source: epa.gov/region07/education_resources/teachers/ehsstudy/ehs2.htm, [copy on file as: /hazmat/Asbestos Management _ Region 7 _ US EPA.pdf ]
[4] "Deconstruction - Building Disassembly and Material Salvage - the Riverdale Case Study", U.S. EPA, web search 3/4/12, original source: epa.gov/wastes/conserve/rrr/imr/cdm/pubs/river.pdf, [copy on file as: /hazmat/Deconstruction_Riverdale_EPA.pdf]
[5] "Toxics Information Series - Asbestos", U.S. EPA, April 1980, [copy on file as /hazmat/Asbestos_Toxics_EPA_1980.pdf]
[6] EVER WEAR TILE CO is currently (2009) in the Terrazzo, Tile, Marble, and Mosaic Work industry in Fallon, NV. 775) 423-6221. [We do not know the company history nor whether there is an association with EverWear vinyl asbestos floor tiles discussed in this article.]
[7] History of Asbestos in the UK - the story so far ..., Silverdell PLC, 14 Buckingham St., London WC2N 6DF TelP 0207 389 6906, email: info@silverdell.plc.uk website: www.silverdell.plc.uk. Web search 3/4/12, original source: issuu.com/silverdell_plc/docs/silverdell_history_of_asbestos_article, [copy on file as /hazmat/Asberstos_UK_Silverdell.pdf ]
[8] Armstrong ® Residential Flooring - Website 05/15/2010 http://www.armstrong.com/ lists current flooring products provided by the Armstrong Corporation, including Armstrong's current vinyl floor tile products at http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/products/vinyl-floors
[9] Armstrong Corporation, Corporate History - http://www.armstrong.com/corporate/corporate-history.html - Web Search 05/19/2010
[10] Armstrong vinyl asbestos floor tiles: photos of asbestos floor tiles as catalog pages (PDF form) are at www.asbestosresource.com/asbestos/tile.html
[11] Thanks to Armstrong Corporation (800-356-9301) for providing information about the dates of manufacture of peel-and-stick floor tiles, email July 2010
[12] "Asbestos in your home or at work," Forsyth County Environmental Affairs Department, Winston-Salem NC 12/08
[13] "Asbestos Floor Tile Removal", the University of Minnesota's advice on removing VAT (vinyl asbestos or asphalt asbestos floor tile) can be read in detail at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floortile/index.html
[14] Asbestos in Your Home U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
[15] Resilient Floor Covering Institute, 1030 15th St. NW, suite 350, Washington D.C.
[16] Congoleum Corporation, "Company History", Congoleum Corporation, Department C, P.O. Box 3127, Mercerville, NJ 08619-0127 1-609-584-3601, web-search 03/14/2011, original source: http://www.congoleum.com/history.html
[17] Congoleum Nairn, Congoleum Corporation, Department C, P.O. Box 3127, Mercerize, NJ 08619-0127
[18] Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
[19] David Grudzinski, Advantage Home Inspections, is a professional home inspector in Cranston, RI. 02910. He can be reached at 401-935-6547, fax- 401-490-0607 or by email to contact/us@advantagehomeinspections.us 04/26/2009
[20] LIFE Feb 14, 1955 p. 105, advertisement for Congoleum flooring products and listing of Gold Seal products by Congoleum.
[21] Rotterdam Convention PIC, see http://www.pic.int/home.php?type=s&id=77, and for a PDF on the composition of vinyl-asbestos flooring, see http://www.pic.int/en/DGDs/Alternatives/USA/American%20alternatives%20part%203.pdf
where PIC refers to
Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade on 10 September 1998.

Major Provisions of the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedure PIC

The Convention covers pesticides and industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health or environmental reasons by Parties and which have been notified by Parties for inclusion in the PIC procedure. One notification from each of two specified regions triggers consideration of addition of a chemical to Annex III of the Convention, Severely hazardous pesticide formulations that present a hazard under conditions of use in developing countries or countries with economies in transition may also be nominated for inclusion in Annex III.

There are 40 chemicals listed in Annex III of the Convention and subject to the PIC procedure, including 25 pesticides, 4 severely hazardous pesticide formulations and 11 industrial chemicals. Many more chemicals are expected to be added in the future. The Conference of the Parties decides on the inclusion of new chemicals.
Once a chemical is included in Annex III, a "decision guidance document" (DGD) containing information concerning the chemical and the regulatory decisions to ban or severely restrict the chemical for health or environmental reasons, is circulated to all Parties.

Parties have nine months to prepare a response concerning the future import of the chemical. The response can consist of either a final decision (to allow import of the chemical, not to allow import, or to allow import subject to specified conditions) or an interim response. Decisions by an importing country must be trade neutral (i.e., apply equally to domestic production for domestic use as well as to imports from any source).

The import decisions are circulated and exporting country Parties are obligated under the Convention to take appropriate measure to ensure that exporters within its jurisdiction comply with the decisions.

[22] "Resource4Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Information and Legal Guide", web search 3/6/2012, original source: resource4mesothelioma.com/topics/whatisasbestos.html [copy on file as /hazmat/Asbestos_Resource4_3Mar12.pdf ] and also
mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/products/ceramic-tiles.htm [copy on file as
/hazmat/Ceramic_Tiles_Asb_Mesothel_Mar_12.pdf ]
[23] Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 [out of print, original copy, text and images on file at InspectAPedia.com offices].
[24] Microwave thermal inertisation of asbestos containing waste and its recycling in traditional ceramics. Leonelli C, Veronesi P, Boccaccini DN, Rivasi MR, Barbieri L, Andreola F, Lancellotti I, Rabitti D, Pellacani GC. Dipartimento di Ingegneria dei Materiali e dell'Ambiente, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Vignolese 905, 41100 Modena, Italy. leonelli@unimore.it Journal of Hazardous Materials 135 (1–3): 149–155 - Citation: J Hazard Mater. 2006 Jul 31;135(1-3):149-55. Epub 2006 Jan 10., web search 3/6/2012, original source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16406335
Abstract: Asbestos was widely used as a building material prior to the 1970's. It is well known that asbestos is a health hazard and its progressive elimination is a priority for pollution prevention. Asbestos can be transformed to non-hazardous silicate phases by microwave thermal treatment. The aim of this investigation is to describe the microwave inertization process of asbestos containing waste (ACW) and its recycling in porcelain stoneware tiles, porous single-fired wall tiles and ceramic bricks following industrial manufacture procedure. Inertised asbestos powder was added in the percentages of 1, 3, and 5 wt.% to commercially available compositions and then fired following industrial thermal cycles. Water absorption and linear shrinkage of the obtained industrial products do not present significant variations with additions up to 5 wt.% of microwave inertised ACW.
[25] Asbestos-ceramic, Wikipedia, web search 3/6/2012, original source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos-ceramic [copy on file as /hazmat/Asbestos-ceramic_Wik.pdf]
Thomas Hauswirth, Managing Member of Beacon Fine Home Inspections, LLC and (in 2007) Vice President, Connecticut Association of Home Inspectors Ph. 860-526-3355 Fax 860-526-2942 beaconinspections@sbcglobal.net 06/07: thanks for photographs of transite asbestos heating ducts
[26] "History of asbestos discovery and use and asbestos-related disease in context with the occurrence of asbestos within ophiolite complexes", Malcolm Ross, Robert P. Nolan, Geological Society of America, Special Paper, 2003.
Abstract: Two ancient asbestos mines, one near Karystos, Greece and the other southeast of Mount Troodos, Cyprus, were located in what we now know to be ophiolite terrane. Evidence suggests that asbestos was discovered and utilized in Cyprus,perhaps as long as 5000 years ago, for manufacture of cremation cloths, lamp wicks, hats, and shoes. Some of the adverse health effects became known only in the early twentieth century, but it was not until the 1960's that the asbestos-related diseases - asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma - were fully understood.
Approximately 855 of the world's asbestos was produced from ophiolite complexes, most of which as the chrysotile variety; termolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite asbestos accounting for only a few percent of the total. Asbestos minerals crystallize within tectonized ophiolites -along shear, fault, and dilation zones, and at contacts with intruded dikes and sills. Important chrysotile asbestos mines are found in the ophiolites of eastern Canada, the Russian Urals, California, northwest Italy, northern Greece, and Cyprus. A high incidence of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lugn lining, is reported among residents of villages located within or near ophiolite complexes in Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Corsica, and New Caledonia. These villages were exposed to tremolite asbestos while processing stucco and whitewash for application to homes. Asbestos contamination in various geographic localities has generated concern about health risks and has prompted costly remediatl actions, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States. A scientific basis for public policy is offered to address the utilization of asbestos-bearing rocks.
[27] 57 F.Supp. 339 (1965), TILE COUNCIL OF AMERICA, INC., Plaintiff, v. CERAMIC TILERS SUPPLY, INC., Defendant. No. 62-267. United States District Court S. D. California, Central Division. August 13, 1965. Quoting "the 392 patent ... It also discloses composition containing the ingredients above mentioned which include sand as well as one which includes asbestos but not sand together with the other ingredients heretofore mentioned. The 382 patent also discloses a method of manufacturing such compositions."
[28] "The transformation sequence of cement–asbestos slates up to 1200 °C and safe recycling of the reaction product in stoneware tile mixtures A.F. Gualtieri, C. Cavenati, I. Zanatto, M. Meloni, G. Elmi, M. Lassinantti Gualtier, Journal of Hazardous Materials Volume 152, Issue 2, 1 April 2008, Pages 563–570
" Quoting: " The material was powdered and studied to see if it is suitable to be recycled in stoneware tile
mixtures similarly to the protocol used in Gualtieri and Tartaglia [20] "
" The product of transformation of cement–asbestos (CATP) has a phase composition similar to that of a natural or a low temperature clinker with the exception of having a larger content of aluminium, iron and magnesium. This product can be safely recycled for the production of stoneware tile mixtures. The addition of 3–5 mass% of CATP does not bear significant variations to the standard parameters of white porcelain tile mixtures. "
[29] "A glass-bonded ceramic material from chrysotile (white asbestos)", K. J. D. Mackenzie and R. H. Meinhold, JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE Volume 29, Number 10, 2775-2783, DOI: 10.1007/BF00356832, Abstract:
A process has been developed for bonding chrysotile asbestos into a robust, dimensionally-stable lightweight ceramic material by fusing it with sodium silicate and/or ground waste glass. The chrysotile can retain its desirable properties of fibrous morphology and porosity, but the fibre bundles are stabilized by fusion into a glassy matrix, reducing the respirable fibre concentration. The glass-bonded materials have good resistance to mechanical abrasion, and any resulting dust is found by SEM to be particularly free of fibres. The thermal treatment also converts the chrysotile into crystalline forsterite, which should destroy its cell toxicity. Other methods of glass-bonding chrysotile compacts (hot pressing and impregnating with glaze) were also investigated, and the properties of the resulting materials are reported.
Reference Type: Journal Article
Author: Mackenzie, K. J. D.
Author: Meinhold, R. H.
Primary Title: A glass-bonded ceramic material from chrysotile (white asbestos)
Journal Name: Journal of Materials Science
Cover Date: 1994-01-01
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Issn: 0022-2461
Subject: Chemistry and Materials Science
Start Page: 2775
End Page: 2783
Volume: 29
Issue: 10
Url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00356832
Doi: 10.1007/BF00356832
[30] "Firing transformations of cretaceous clays used in the manufacturing of ceramic tiles", M.M Jordána, Corresponding author contact information, A Boixa, T Sanfeliua, C de la Fuenteb, Applied Clay Science, Volume 14, Issue 4, April 1999, Pages 225–234
[31] "Use of granite sawing wastes in the production of ceramic bricks and tiles", Romualdo R. Menezesa, Corresponding author contact information, E-mail the corresponding author, Heber S. Ferreirab, E-mail the corresponding author, Gelmires A. Nevesb, E-mail the corresponding author, Helio de L. Lirab, E-mail the corresponding author, Heber C. Ferreirab, E-mail the corresponding author , Journal of the European Ceramic Society, Volume 25, Issue 7, May 2005, Pages 1149–1158
[32] [Chapter 4.4. Clay Masonry Units] of Olin's Construction: Principles, Materials, and Methods, 9th ed., H. Leslie Simmons, John Wiley & Sons 2011, ISBN 978-0-470-54740-3
[33] Ceramics - Chemistry Encyclopedia - structure, water, uses, elements, examples, metal, number, salt http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Bo-Ce/Ceramics.html#ixzz1oRox0tMa
[34] Books on tile production:
- Barsoum, Michael W. (1996). Fundamentals of Ceramics. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Bender, W. and F. Handle, eds. Brick and Tile Making: Procedures and Operating Practices in the Heavy Clay Industries. Bauverlag GmbH, 1982.
- Jones, J. T. and M. F. Berard. Ceramics: Industrial Processing and Testing. Iowa State University Press, 1972.
- Kingery, W. D.; Bowen, H. K.; and Uhlmann, D. R. (1976). Introduction to Ceramics , 2nd edition. New York: Wiley.
- Pellacani, G. and T. Manfredini. Engineered Materials Handbook. ASM International, 1991, pp. 925-929.
[35] Ceramic Tile Institute of America, CTIOA, Tel: 310-574-7800, website: www.ctioa.org/ Email: ctioa@earthlink.net Quote:
The mission of CTIOA: To promote appropriate and expanded use of ceramic tile and natural stone through education.
The Ceramic Tile Institute of America Inc. provides manufacturer’s information only. The Ceramic Tile Institute of America Inc. does not test the products listed nor do we validate manufacturer’s claims. The Ceramic Tile Institute of America inc. is not responsible for the performance of the products shown on this site.
[36] "Potential Asbestos Hazard in Art Clay", Mark K. McQuillan, [letter] Connecticut Department of Public Health, 26 June 2007, CT DOH, Phone: (860) 509-7740 Fax: (860) 509-7785 Telephone Device for the Deaf (860) 509-7191 410 Capitol Avenue - MS # 11EOH P.O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134
web search 3/8/12 original source: ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/environmental_health/asbestos/pdf/ArtClayLetter.pdf
[copy on file as: /hazmat/ArtClayLetter.pdf ] Excerpt:
Talc is added to certain clays as a “flux” to lower the temperature at which the clay needs to be heated. The DPH has become aware that the talc from at least one mine in the Northeast may be contaminated with a type of asbestos called anthophyllite. Although there has been debate if the asbestos found in talc actually falls under the regulatory definition of asbestos, there is enough uncertainty to warrant caution when using clays with added talc. A recent court case in New Jersey found talc mined by the R.T. Vanderbilt Company of New York was responsible for an asbestos-related cancer ( mesothelioma) in a pottery shop owner. The pottery shop owner had purchased talc (Nytal 100) in large bags and mixed it in clays he used and sold.
[37] CPSC and Milton Bradley Co. Recall "Fibro-Clay", US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Release #83-012, March 1983. web seach 3/8/12 original source cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml83/83012.html [copy on file as /hazamat/FIBRO-CLAY_ Recall.pdf ]
Excerpt:
Milton Bradley made Fibro-Clay from 1967 until 1975, when it ceased manufacture of the product. The firm stated that no asbestos has been used in the formula since 1972, and that the quantity sold by its Educational Division was relatively small.
[38] US CPSC FOIA Request S606074: Duggan v. Duncan Ceramics, Report 950907CWE7271 and related investigation reports and correspoindence ..., [letter, CPSC to Jennifer N. Willis], 22 July 1997, with attachments, documents, technical articles, [copy on file as /hazmat/CPSC_FOIA_S606074.pdf ]
[39] "Precautions for Elementary and Secondary Art Teachers", Ida Herma Williams, Center for Occupational Hazards, [available in op.cit. #37]
[40] "Ceramics", Michael McCann, Ph.D., C.I.H., Center for SAFETY in the Arts, 5 Beekman St., New York NY 10038, [undated, available in op.cit.#37]
[41] "Art and Craft Safety Guide", US CPSC, Publication #5015, original source: http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5015.pdf, [copy on file as /hazmat/CPSC_5015.pdf
[42] Asbestos Testing Laboratory Survey, Daniel Friedman (editor), InsapectAPedia.com, March 2012. Using the U.S. NIST directory of accredited laboratories certified for asbestos fiber analysis, [http://ts.nist.gov/standards/scopes/plmtm.htm] we polled at least one laboratory in each U.S. state, Puerto Rico, two Canadian Provinces, and laboratories in Japan and Korea, asking each if their laboratory had ever received ceramic tiles for asbestos testing and whether or not their lab had ever detected asbestos in ceramic tiles used on walls, floors, or other building services. Results will be included in this article.
[43] "Where can you find asbestos? Floor tiles, textiles, composites", Health and Executive Safety, web search 3/8/12 original source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/floortiles.htm Quoting:
HSE is the national independent watchdog for work-related health, safety and illness.
We are an independent regulator and act in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury across Great Britain’s workplaces.
[44] International Asbestos Testing Laboratories, Frank E. Ehrenfeld III, Laboratory Director - Vice President, 9000 Commerce Parkway, Suite B, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, Office: 856 231-9449, psersonal communication, email & telcon: 3/8/2012
[45] Handbook of Clay Science, R.E. Grim, Elsevier Science, 2006, ISBN-10: 0080441831 ISBN-13: 978-0080441832[WATCH OUT the price for this book is very high]
[46]The Clay Minerals Society 3635 Concorde Pkwy Suite 500, Chantilly, VA 20151-1110, United States, Tel: (703) 652-9960, Email: cms@clays.org website http://www.clays.org/,
[47] Semiquantitative Chemical Analysis of Asbestos Fibers and Clay Minerals with an Analytical Electron Microscope", Hisato Hayashi, Saburo Aita and Mikio Suzuki, Clays and Minerals, Vol. 26. No. 3, pp. 181-188, 1978, web search 3/8/12 original source: clays.org/journal/archive/volume%2026/26-3-181.pdf [copy on file as /hazmat/Clays_Minerals_Asbestos_CMS_1978.pdf ]
[48] Sheet silicates (phyllosilicates): clays, micas and serpentine (including chrysotile asbestos), E&ES213: Mineralogy Lecture March 22, Ellen Thomas, Wesleyan University, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown, CT 06459, (860) 685-2000 [copy on file as /hazmat/Clays and asbestos_EThomas_Wesleyan.pdf]
[Helpful definitions & descriptions of clay & asbestos from an environmental scientist - ed.]
[49] Phillip A. Peterson, Vice President, Fibertec Industrial Hygiene Services, Inc., 1914 Holloway Drive Holt, MI 48842, Phone: 517-699-0345, ext. 1, www.fibertec.us. Personal correspondence 3/14/2012 - DJF.
[50] Asbestos Program, Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration Construction Safety & Health Division - Asbestos Program 7150 Harris Drive P. O. Box 30671 Lansing, Michigan 48909-8171 517.322.1320 (office) 517.322.1713 (fax) E-mail: asbestos@michigan.gov, website:
http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-11407_15333_15369-41708--,00.html
[4/23/12 requested technical review]
[51] "Arts and Crafts, an Industrial Hygiene Challenge", Monona Rossol, The Synergist, May 2012, pp. 34-37American Industrial Hygiene Association.
[52] Arts, Crafts, & Theater Safety (ACTS), 181 Thompson Street, #23 New York, NY 10012-2586 Telephone: (212) 777-0062 E-Mail: ACTSNYC@cs.com, web search 5/9/12, website: http://www.artscraftstheatersafety.org/ - Quoting:
ACTS is a not-for-profit corporation that provides health, safety, industrial hygiene, technical services, and safety publications to the arts, crafts, museums, and theater communities. A part of the fees from our consulting services goes to support our free and low-cost services for artists. We gratefully accept donations, but do not solicit them from the artists who call here for help and advice. We recognize that artists and performers are among the least affluent groups in society. ACTS also will not accept money or take advertising in our publications from manufacturers of artists materials or businesses whose interests could conflict with ours. We want artists to know that we have no financial incentive to make our product and safety recommendations.
[53] The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide, Monona Rossol, Allworth Press, 2001, ISBN-10: 1581152043 ISBN-13: 978-1581152043 - Quoting:
Dozens of at-a-glance tables and charts present vital information about art materials, ingredients, technical hazards, proper protective equipment, and safe work practices simply and accurately. This brand-new third edition is now completely revised and expanded to detail lifesaving new safety and ventilation equipment, present urgent new discoveries on toxins and pollutants found in arts and crafts materials, and explain the controversies surrounding new government regulations. A virtual lifesaver for all art and craft workers.
Gary Randolph, Ounce of Prevention Home Inspection, LLC Buffalo, NY, for attentive reading and editing suggestions. Mr. Randolph can be reached in Buffalo, NY, at (716) 636-3865 or email: gary@ouncehome.com 3/07

Asbestos Identification and Testing References

Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone

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