End Use of Asbestos - Statistics

Asbestos End Use

Asbestos End-Use Worksheet Notes

Data Source
The source of data for the asbestos end-use worksheet is the Minerals Yearbook, an annual collection, compilation, and analysis of mineral industry data, published by the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey.

End Use
End use is defined as the use of the mineral commodity in a particular industrial sector or product.  For asbestos, end-use categories are asbestos cement pipe, asbestos cement sheet, coatings and compounds, flooring products, friction products, electrical insulation, thermal insulation, packing and gaskets, paper products, plastics, roofing products, textiles, other industrial uses, and unknown uses. 

For the years 1975–76, coatings and compounds and plastics data were included in the other uses category and thermal insulation data were included with electrical insulation.  Other uses include acetylene cylinder filler, asbestos diagrams, fuel cells, ceramic arc chute, and cooling tower fill.  Unknown refers to end uses not known to producers.

After 1976, there was a downturn in asbestos use owing to regulations and concerns over health risks posed by high exposures to airborne asbestos.  Public opposition to the use of asbestos and liability issues spurred the quest for alternatives to asbestos.

Blank cells in the spreadsheet indicate that data were not available and values were assumed to be zero.  Data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; data may not add to totals shown.

References
U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1977–96, Minerals Yearbook, v. I, 1975–94.
U.S. Geological Survey, 1997–2005, Minerals Yearbook, v. I, 1995–2003.

Recommended Citation Format:
(1) If taken from CD version:
U.S. Geological Survey, [year of last update, e.g., 2005], [Mineral commodity, e.g., Gold] statistics, in Kelly, T.D., and Matos, G.R., comps., Historical statistics for mineral and material commodities in the United States:  U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 140, one CD-ROM.  (Also available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2005/140/.)

(2) If taken from online version:
U.S. Geological Survey, [year of last update, e.g., 2005], [Mineral commodity, e.g., Gold] statistics, in Kelly, T.D., and Matos, G.R., comps., Historical statistics for mineral and material commodities in the United States:  U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 140, available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2005/140/.  (Accessed [date].)

For more information, please contact:

USGS Asbestos Commodity Specialist




ASBESTOS END-USE STATISTICS1


U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY


[Metric tons]


Last modification: September 15, 2005



Year Asbestos cement pipe Asbestos cement sheet Coatings and compounds Flooring products Friction products Insulation, electrical Insulation, thermal Packing and gaskets Paper products Plastics Roofing products Textiles Other Unknown Apparent consumption
1975 139,000 40,000   123,000 60,000 6,000   15,000 60,000   42,000 5,000 62,000   551,000
1976 127,000 21,000   104,000 58,000 8,000   18,000 28,000   231,000 6,000 59,000   659,000
1977 145,000 39,500 32,500 140,000 83,100 3,360 15,000 25,100 22,100 7,260 57,500 8,800 30,200   609,000
1978 106,000 25,000 33,000 138,000 53,000 15,000 4,000 25,000 7,000 7,000 64,000 9,000 133,000   619,000
1979 96,000 22,000 30,000 125,000 48,000 14,000 3,000 23,000 6,000 7,000 58,000 8,000 121,000   561,000
1980 42,000 23,000 11,000 70,000 52,000 6,000 3,000 12,000 1,000 2,000 24,000 2,000 111,000   359,000
1981 42,000 20,000 13,000 67,000 51,000 6,000 1,000 19,000 2,000 1,000 16,000 2,000 109,000   349,000
1982 38,000 11,000 25,000 49,000 53,000   1,000 14,000 2,000   7,000 1,000 46,000   247,000
1983 26,000 10,000 23,000 45,000 48,000   1,000 12,000 2,000 1,000 6,000 1,000 42,000   217,000
1984 37,000 12,000 22,000 46,000 48,000 2 2,000 13,000 2,000 1,000 7,000 2,000 33,000   226,000
1985 28,000 7,000 23,000 7,000 34,000 2 2 6,000 17,000 2 26,000 1,000 5,000 7,000 162,000
1986 20,000 5,000 17,000 5,000 26,000 2 2 5,000 13,000 2 20,000 2 4,000 4,000 120,000
1987 11,000 4,000 3,000   21,000 2   10,000 5,000 1,000 23,000 1,000 2,000 4,000 84,300
1988 12,000 4,000 4,000 2 15,000 2 2 10,000 1,000 2 20,000 2 2 5,000 71,400
1989 8,000 3,000 4,000   12,000     4,000 1,000 1,000 18,000 2 1,000 4,000 55,300
1990 5,000 2,000 2,000   9,000     3,000 2 2 13,000   1,000 7,000 41,300
1991 3,700 1,600 800   9,500     2,800 2 2 15,100   600   34,800
1992 2,000 2 1,000   10,000     3,000 2 2 16,000   1,000 2 32,800
1993 1,000   1,000   10,000     3,000 2 2 16,000   1,000 2 31,600
1994     2   9,000     3,000 2 2 13,000   1,000 2 26,800
1995     2   7,000     3,000 2 2 11,000   1,000 2 22,000
1996     2   7,000     3,000 2 2 11,000   1,000 2 21,700
1997     2   6,000     4,000 2 2 10,000   1,000 2 21,000
1998     2   3,000     2,000 1,000 2 9,000   1,000   15,800
1999     2   2,000     3,000   2 10,000   1,000   15,800
2000     2   2,000   2 3,000   2 9,000   1,000   14,600
2001     2   1,000     2,000   2 9,000   1,000   13,100
2002     2,000   2 2 2 1,000 2   4,000   2   6,850
2003     1,170               2,800   677   4,650