Asbestos is a mineral fiber that occurs naturally in rock and soil. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), asbestos is defined as the “asbestiform varieties of six fiber types – chrysotile (serpentine), crocidolite (riebeckite), amosite (cummingtonite-grunerite), anthophyllite, tremolite or actinolite.”  In the United States, asbestos has not been mined or manufactured since 2002. The only type of asbestos currently imported into the United States is chrysotile. EPA is aware of the use of raw chrysotile asbestos in the chlor-alkali industry as well as the use of some imported asbestos-containing products such as gaskets and friction products.

Learn more about what asbestos is, where it’s found and how to protect your family.

Scope of Asbestos Risk Evaluation under Amended TSCA

• CASRN: 1332-21-4
• Initiated: December 19, 2016
• Docket: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2016-0736

This scope document includes the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations the EPA expects to consider in its risk evaluation of asbestos conducted pursuant to TSCA Section 6(b)(4). EPA will publish and take public comment on a Problem Formulation document for asbestos which will refine the current scope, as an additional interim step, prior to publication the draft risk evaluation. This problem formulation is expected to be released within approximately six months of publication of the scope documents.

• Read the scope document for asbestos under amended TSCA
• View the supplemental files for the asbestos scope document:
  • Strategy for Conducting Literature Searches for Asbestos: Supplemental File for the TSCA Scope Document
  • Asbestos (1332-21-4) Bibliography: Supplemental File for the TSCA Scope Document