EU Today Publishes Report on Safety Concerns Over Mineral Wool

BRUSSELS, June 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

EU Today published a report "Is it Time To Regulate The Mineral Wool Industry More Tightly At EU Level?" on Wednesday 27 June 2018. The report, written for EU Today by Gary Cartwright, focuses on the health concerns surrounding mineral wool (or MMVF, Man-Made Vitreous Fibres), including carcinogenicity and lung disease, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

The report explains the fact that after the asbestos industry collapsed due to the danger asbestos posed to human health, mineral wool (MMVF) emerged as a replacement. Mineral wool was classified as a carcinogen until 2002, when a newer version of it was declassified. EU Today's report examines how the tests that led to the declassification were flawed. Tests in 1996 and 2000-2002 were not conducted with mineral wool in the form that it is sold or used by consumers or commercially: those tests were carried out with the binder or oil removed, giving misleading results regarding carcinogenicity.

The full report can be found on the EU Today website and contains recommendations that mineral wool (MMVF) be re-tested, this time in the form that it is actually sold and used. The report also recommends health and safety legislation and product safety labelling for mineral wool.

Speaking about the report at the Brussels Press Club, the report's author Gary Cartwright said: "At a time when insulation of homes and workplaces are high on the political agenda, we need to take a much closer look at one of the common insulation products, mineral wool. Yes, we need more and better insulation given the challenges of climate change and high energy prices. But we must also be sure that what we use in our homes and business - which workers or do-it-yourself enthusiasts have to produce, install, remove and dispose of - is safe."