SUZU, Ishikawa -- Crocidolite, a highly carcinogenic type of asbestos, has been found exposed at a hotel damaged by the January 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and subsequent heavy rains in September, risking airborne dispersal of its fibers, according to a nonprofit organization survey.

An on-site survey by the Tokyo-based nonprofit Asbestos Center identified exposed crocidolite, also known as blue asbestos, at Hotel Kairakuso in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture. Part of the asbestos material had broken off and fallen to the ground, increasing the likelihood that fibers dispersed into the air.

Many volunteers have been assisting with recovery efforts at the hotel and surrounding areas, including earth and sand removal. Asbestos Center Secretary-General Fuyushi Nagakura emphasized, "Measures should immediately be taken to prevent the dispersal of the substance and inform volunteers of the danger."

In the powerful earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in January 2024, walls at Hotel Kairakuso partially collapsed. It was damaged further by mudslides triggered by torrential rains that September, with sediment flowing into the hotel's three buildings along a nearby river.

In an investigation in April this year, the Asbestos Center found that bluish fireproof material had been used in the beams and upper portions of columns in one of the three buildings, located farthest upstream, where sediment flows had created a large hole in a wall. The survey discovered numerous locations where the material appeared to have been scraped off or dislodged by sediment, with five lumps of the substance, roughly 2 to 10 centimeters in diameter, found on the ground. Analysis conducted by a specialized institute in Tokyo confirmed the material as crocidolite.

Given that many volunteers have assisted in removing sediment from the three-story steel-framed building, there is concern they may have been exposed to airborne fibers. Sediment potentially containing crocidolite remains piled near a national route in front of the hotel, where several volunteers were spotted working during the recent survey.

According to the hotel's operator, the Ishikawa Prefectural Government notified them of asbestos presence following the earthquake, prompting repairs of the collapsed walls to prevent dispersal. However, the hotel owner died in mudslides caused by the heavy rains in September. Additionally, sediment accumulation of about 2 meters outside the building hindered the hotel operator from becoming fully aware of wall damages and asbestos exposure until approximately March this year, after the sediment was removed.

Nagakura warned, "Crocidolite, which should completely be sealed off, was exposed without any covering. The sediment, entrapping the crocidolite, flowed into the buildings downstream as well." Regarding ongoing volunteer activities, he added, "They should warn volunteers to stay away until measures are taken."

An Ishikawa Prefectural Government representative told the Mainichi Shimbun, "We are looking into the circumstances on-site. Considering the possibility of asbestos being present, we have asked the hotel to take steps to prevent dispersal and stop accepting volunteers. We will consider necessary actions based on the survey."

Asbestos is an extremely fine fibrous mineral, as thin as a few thousandths of a human hair. When inhaled, asbestos fibers can lead to serious health conditions including mesothelioma -- a type of malignant cancer affecting the tissue lining internal organs -- or lung cancer, typically appearing after a latency period of approximately 20 to 60 years. Three common asbestos varieties are chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos) and crocidolite, with crocidolite considered particularly hazardous. In previous documented cases, numerous residents near factories using crocidolite later developed asbestos-related illnesses.

(Japanese original by Hidetoshi Oshima, Osaka Editorial Division)