The leading manufacturers of mineral wool insulating materials have taken the position that fine mineral fiber dust can be harmful to health since the beginning of the discussion, there is no connection between cancer and mineral fibers. Long-term serial examinations by the World Health Organization (WHO) to more than 50 000 employees of the glass- and rock wool industry would have confirmed this thesis, international experts give similar assessments.
The Committee on Hazardous Materials (AGS), of the time the classification in the category 2, carcinogenic in animal experiments, Cancer-tätsindex (Cancer Risk Index) TO < 30, had done, has again dealt with the classification of fibrous dusts. This results in a recommendation to the Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, for all artificial mineral fibers made of glass,
Stein- and slag wool as well as for ceramic fibers to carry out an assessment on the basis of the carcinogenicity index.
The mineral fiber producers reacted quickly. Glass- and stone wool insulating materials of the chemical composition commonly used today
would still be in the category 2, Carcinogenicity index KI below 30, fallen. The German market leader in glass- and stone wool products, G+H, has changed the formulation of its insulating materials based on the formula developed by AGS, that in the future they will have a much higher biosolubility while retaining all previous product properties. As a result, they correspond to a carcinogenicity index of KI > 40. That means: no classification as a hazardous substance. And therefore no suspicion of carcinogenic potential!
The German Rockwool Mineralwoll-GmbH, which exclusively produces insulating materials made of stone wool, also relies on improving the organic properties. In plain language: Finest fiber particles, which enter the lungs during production or processing, are broken down by the body three to ten times faster than before with the new Rock-wool quality.
What does Seibermacher get out of all this? He no longer has to worry about processing mineral fibers, that he could damage his health by doing so.