Asbestos-Truth

Industry first began to use asbestos during the 19th century and its use rose substantially during the period of the Second World The United States was the first country to issue laws banning the use of asbestos after irrefutable evidence came to light that asbestos was finding it's way into the environment.

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. There are probably not many people in the modern world who are not aware of the dangers of inhaling asbestos.

Asbestos occurs naturally as a mineral that is mined and processed into asbestos. Asbestos looked like the wonder product for industry because of its heat and chemical resistance. The special properties of asbestos found many uses in manufacturing and construction.

Stage curtains, caulk, joint compound as well as less obvious uses such as crayons are just some of the uses for asbestos. 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. Asbestos is legal if it can be proven that its use will not harm humans or the environment.

Asbestos exposure can be fatal as many of its effects are incurable with current medication. One of the commonest ailments caused by exposure to asbestos is asbestosis, which is inflammation of the lungs caused by inhaling asbestos fibres.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is caused by asbestos; it forms around the protective lining of the bodys major organs. Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, pericardial mesothelioma affects the heart.

It is only in the last 3 decades that it has become apparent the effects on peoples health that asbestos causes. Asbestos exposure symptoms may take up to 50 years to show, it is for this reason that the medical profession took so long to links asbestos to the diseases that it causes.

As the level of litigation for compensation for asbestos exposure increased, its use has reduced dramatically. 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.