Asbestos-Truth

Mining and commercial use of asbestos began in the 1800s, and grew significantly during World War II. Environmental pressure forced laws through in the 70's the constrained the use of asbestos in industry.

The 1980's saw new laws passed on the use of asbestos in the US, further restricting the ways in which it could be used. If you ask people today, most of them are aware of the harmful nature of asbestos to those who are exposed to the fibres.

Asbestos occurs naturally as a mineral that is mined and processed into asbestos. Asbestos has some remarkable properties; it is fire and chemical resistant as well as not conducting electricity. With it's unbeatable properties of heat and chemical resistance many uses for asbestos were found in the home and industry.

Asbestos based products were used in most walks of life, from lagging boilers to brake pads for cars. If a building was built in or before the 1980's then you should assume that it contains asbestos as it's use was wide spread in the construction industry right up until it was banned. It is legal to use asbestos in ways where it is guaranteed that they cannot come into contact with humans or animals.

Exposure to asbestos is serious; the health risks associated with asbestos are high because some of the illnesses caused by asbestos are incurable. One of the best-known asbestos diseases is asbestosis, often called asbestos lung, which leads to shortness of breath and lung damage.

A second common ailment of asbestosis is mesothelioma, which is a form of cancer affecting the major organs of the body. Symptoms of mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction; blood clotting abnormalities, anaemia, and fever.

Asbestos has been used through out history; the original name came from the ancient Greeks who recognised that there were hazards associated with the material. The term Mesothelioma was not used in medical literature until 1931, and was not associated with asbestos until sometime in the 1940s.

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. The British Government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has promoted rigorous controls on asbestos handling, because of many reports linking exposure to asbestos dust or fibres with thousands of annual deaths.

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.