A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Scotsman has revealed that 90 schools and nurseries in Edinburgh contain asbestos, with 18 containing the type “most dangerous to health.”
This means that asbestos is present in three-quarters of all primary schools in the city.
It was found that in 2023, 1700 schools in Scotland contained asbestos.
Crocicolite, the previously most commonly used form of Asbestos, was regarded as the most dangerous because of its brittle and needle-like fibres.
When asbestos material is disturbed, these fibres are released and inhaled, leading to various long-term diseases like cancer and scarring of the lungs.
The properties of asbestos make it ideal to use for insulation, boilers, pipes, and floor tiles.
Christine Jardine, MP for Edinburgh West, wrote to the City of Edinburgh Council, asking how this crisis will be resolved and calling for information to be released to children and parents to reassure them “that they are not at risk in any way from the presence of asbestos in their school.”
Edinburgh City Council “acknowledges the alarm” and has a “robust and comprehensive” plan.
While a full ban on asbestos was implemented in 1999, Scotland still has much work to do before it can remove this cancer-causing material from our society.
Photo by Ben Hessler on Unsplash
