Many of the houses that were destroyed in the Kobe earthquake on 17 January were built before 1965, and a haze of asbestos dust hung over the city for days after the tremor. The work of demolition crews added to the problem. The Environment Agency took air samples from 50 sites in Kobe and the nearby town of Nishinomiya between 6 and 12 February. The average number of asbestos fibres per litre of air was 0.8, almost twice the national average of 0.43 measured in 1993. Where demolition was taking place in Kobe, the figure rose to 11.2 fibres per litre of air.
Asbestos can cause cancer of the lung and stomach, and breathing disorders such as asbestosis.
Buildings are usually sprayed with water before demolition to avoid raising clouds of dust. But the Kobe earthquake damaged underground pipes and roof tanks, so water has been in short supply. The agency had one reassuring message for residents following its survey. Other tests show that the level of air and water pollutants in the area is no higher than it was last year.