Brasilia, 25 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Brazilian Environmental Protection Agency (IBAMA) is developing in a laboratory an alternative, plant-based asbestos to replace the widespread use of mineral asbestos, whose utilization has already been banned in more than 40 nations. According to an IBAMA forest engineer, Divino Teixeira, "it's possible that we will have concluded the work and it will be available to the public in a year's time."

In an interview to Radiobras, Teixeira said that Brazil is the largest world producer of cellulose, with a great variety of vegetable materials, and this, certainly, will help make the project commercially viable. He added that vegetable asbestos should have a price similar to the mineral kind. (MW)