Is asbestos banned in Brazil?

Yes, Brazil banned asbestos in 2023 after a decades-long fight. Pre-ban buildings may still contain materials. Check your property's risk now.

SENTINEL ARCHIVE / CASE #024

Brazil

Federal Supreme Court (STF) ruled November 29, 2017 (7-2 vote) that Federal Law 9.055/1995 permitting 'controlled use' of chrysotile was unconstitutional, establishing a full national ban on mining, processing, marketing, and distribution of chrysotile asbestos (ADI 3937, 3406, 3470). Ban reaffirmed February 23, 2023. Enforcement has been contested: Goiás state enacted a loophole law (No. 20,514/2019) allowing export-only mining, which SAMA/Eternit exploited until a five-year wind-down law (No. 22,935/2023) was enacted. ADI 6200 challenging the Goiás law was postponed indefinitely by the STF in October 2024.

2017Full Ban

2017

Year Banned

2.3

per million/yr

Mesothelioma Rate

tens of millions of…

Buildings at Risk

1960s-2000s

Peak Usage Era

Regulatory Timeline

1930s
1. 1939Event
  Eternit opens asbestos-cement factory in Osasco, São Paulo — operates for 54 years without adequate worker protection until 1993
  ↗ Source
1990s
1. 1991Legislation
  Amphibole asbestos (crocidolite, amosite) banned under occupational safety legislation
  ↗ Source
2. 1995Regulation
  Federal Law No. 9.055/1995 permits 'controlled use' of chrysotile — legalizes ongoing mining at SAMA/Eternit's Minaçu mine in Goiás; ABREA (Association of Brazilians Exposed to Asbestos) founded by former Eternit workers
  ↗ Source
2000s
1. 2008Court Ruling
  STF upholds São Paulo state asbestos ban — signals chrysotile restriction may be constitutional at federal level
  ↗ Source
2010s
1. 2017Legislation
  STF rules (November 29, 7-2): Federal Law 9.055/1995 unconstitutional — complete national ban on chrysotile mining, processing, marketing, and distribution (ADI 3937, 3406, 3470)
  ↗ Source
2. 2019Regulation
  Goiás state enacts Law No. 20,514 permitting asbestos mining for export — SAMA/Eternit continues operating in defiance of national ban; exports reach US$96.6 million in 2022
  ↗ Source
2020s
1. 2021Court Ruling
  São Paulo Court (June 9) convicts SAMA, Eternit SA, and transport company of violating state and federal asbestos laws
  ↗ Source
2. 2023Legislation
  STF reaffirms national asbestos ban (February 23, 7-1); Goiás enacts Law No. 22,935 (August) establishing five-year deadline for all asbestos activities to cease
  ↗ Source
3. 2024Court Ruling
  STF vote on ADI 6200 (challenging Goiás export law) postponed indefinitely by Justice Alexandre de Moraes in October 2024; SAMA begins rare-earth transition in Minaçu
  ↗ Source

Stories of Resistance

The people who fought for change.

Fernanda Giannasi

ADVOCACY LEADER1983–present

Labour Inspector, Brazilian Ministry of Labor; co-founder of ABREA

Fernanda Giannasi is a Labour Inspector with Brazil's Ministry of Labor (since 1983) who became the central figure in the campaign for a national asbestos ban. She co-founded ABREA (Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto) in 1995 with former Eternit factory workers and served as coordinator for Latin America of the Citizens' Virtual Network Against Asbestos. Giannasi documented hazardous conditions at the Osasco factory, led enforcement actions against the industry, and supported 3,500 workers in lawsuits. The industry responded with criminal defamation charges (from Eternit and Saint-Gobain), death threats, and a period of professional exile. Canada's government also pressured Brazilian officials against her enforcement work. She remained active through the 2017 STF ruling and the 2023 ban reaffirmation.

“I defend an immediate world ban on the production, marketing and use of asbestos.”— PMC: Fernanda Giannasi — battling asbestos in Brazil, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2006 (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2465482/)

↗ Source

ABREA — Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto

GLOBAL NETWORK1995–present

National advocacy organization for asbestos victims, founded by Eternit factory workers, Osasco, São Paulo

ABREA was founded in 1995 by former workers of Eternit's Osasco factory after a generation of exposure with no protection. A 2003 ABREA survey of 1,022 former Eternit workers documented 24 deaths from asbestos-related disease, 223 respiratory disorder cases, 192 cases of pleural plaques, and 109 asbestosis cases. ABREA's documentation built the evidentiary base for Brazil's constitutional litigation and contributed directly to the STF decisions of 2017 and 2023. The organization continues to support sick workers and their families and to advocate for enforcement of the national ban.

↗ Source

Key Figures in Detail

Context and sources behind the numbers

2017Ban Year

All forms of asbestos have been banned since 2017. Buildings constructed before this date may still contain asbestos materials.

2.3Mesothelioma Rate

2.3 cases per million people per year. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure, with a latency period of 20–50 years.

A lower rate, though any mesothelioma cases indicate past asbestos exposure.

Source year: 2017

Buildings at Risk

Estimated scope of asbestos-containing materials still present in the built environment.

tens of millions of buildings with legacy asbestos-cement roofing

1960s-2000sPeak Usage Era

The period when asbestos was most heavily used in construction. Buildings from this era have the highest probability of containing asbestos materials.

Material Identification Guide

Common materials still present in buildings

asbestos-cement roofing sheets (telhas onduladas)

HIGH RISKNon-friable

1930–2000

asbestos-cement flat sheets

HIGH RISKNon-friable

1930–2000

asbestos-cement water pipes

MODERATENon-friable

1930–1990

brake linings and friction materials

HIGH RISKFriable

1920–2000

asbestos-cement water tanks

↗Learn more

What To Do If You Live Here

Your country has banned asbestos, but older buildings may still contain legacy materials.
Buildings built before the ban year may contain asbestos-containing materials.
Hire a certified asbestos surveyor before any renovation or demolition work.
Do not disturb older building materials without professional testing.

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Sources

Last updated: 2026-03-28

Information aggregated from public sources including IBAS, EPA, and WHO. Not legal or medical advice.

How we source our data →