a huge cloud of dust blankets the city of hatay in southern turkey. much of the city was devastated by an earthquake in february now, beneath the rubble, another danger is emerging. asbestos. our exclusive investigation reveals the extent of the asbestos contamination in hatay. dw reporters from the turkish and environment departments invited an expert team from the country's chamber of environmental engineers to the region. here, they collected 45 dust samples at different locations. the results point to a disaster that could affect millions of people. anyone who has been in hatay is at risk of being exposed to asbestos. turkish authorities say the amount of asbestos in the region is below dangerous levels. but according to the world health organization a single asbestos fiber, when inhaled, can lead to lung cancer. turkey and around 70 other countries have banned the sale of asbestos products, but its legacy is still around us. because the existing asbestos materials used in the buildings and elsewhere before the bans are like a ticking bomb. in the