Asbestos-Truth

Industry first began to use asbestos during the 19th century and its use rose substantially during the period of the Second World Its popularity came to an abrupt halt in the 1970s however, when the United States Consumer Product and Safety Commission passed the first laws banning its use in certain products, because the asbestos fibers were being released into the environment.

The 1980's saw the Environmental Protection Agency take asbestos to task and issued laws stating that asbestos could only be used in uses, which it could be proven that asbestos had been used prior to the laws being passed. Despite all the attention asbestos has received over the years there are a surprising number of people who have no idea how harmful the fibre can be to humans.

Asbestos bundles that occur naturally can be split into individual asbestos fibres. Asbestos fibers are resistant to heat, fire and chemicals, and they do not conduct electricity. The wide spread use of asbestos was because of the almost magical properties it possessed, gaining it many uses in manufacturing.

The list of uses for asbestos goes on and on but here are a few of the more well known uses it was put to vinyl floor tiles, sheeting, adhesives, clutch plates and stage curtains. The banning of the use of asbestos put pained to it's use in the construction industry but up until this time it was widely used for joint compound, sound proofing an well as wall and ceiling tiles. It is legal to use asbestos in ways where it is guaranteed that they cannot come into contact with humans or animals.

Unfortunately, asbestos exposure can carry significant health risks, some of which are untreatable and incurable at the present time. Asbestosis is probably the most common asbestos related disease, it is often seen as a severe shortness of breath caused by the lining of the lings becoming inflamed by the asbestos fibres.

Mesothelioma is often reported as a disease resulting from asbestos exposure that is listed in many asbestos litigation cases. The two most common forms are pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining around the lungs, and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the lining around the heart.

History notes that Greek and roman slaves whose job it was to weave asbestos fibres into cloth often suffered from damaged lungs. It can take up to 50 years for mesothelioma or asbestosis to become apparent in the victim; this is the reason why it has taken so long for the link between the diseases and asbestos to be made.

A complete ban on asbestos containing material in Australia was introduced in 1991 although some building materials in storage were still being used in the years that followed. It is legal to use asbestos if all of the legal safety guidelines are followed; this is despite the known risks associated with asbestos.

The author of this web articles has written many other articles about asbestos. If you are interested you can find links to some of their other work below.