Asbestos-Truth

War during 1939-1945 was the driving force for the sudden and vast increase in the use of asbestos. 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.

More laws were passed during the 80's by the EPA controlling how and where asbestos could be used by industry. 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 fibers are resistant to heat, fire and chemicals, and they do not conduct electricity. Asbestos with it's wonder characteristics caused it's use in many manufacturing and industrial uses.

Asbestos products include brake shoes and clutch pads for automobiles, insulation for boilers and steam pipes on ships, and strengthening agents for cement and talc-based crayons. Wall and ceiling tiles, adhesives and joining compounds all contained asbestos and were used by the construction industry up until they were banned. The use of asbestos is legal as long as that use means that the asbestos will not come into contact with people or the environment.

Current medical technology is unable to treat all of the possible effects of asbestos fibres on humans. Lung damage caused by breathing in asbestos fibres is called asbestosis; it causes permanent lung damage resulting in a shortness of breath.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. The two common forms of the cancer are pleural mesothelioma, which affects the heart and pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the heart.

It is only in the last 3 decades that it has become apparent the effects on peoples health that asbestos causes. The first diagnosis of asbestosis was made in England in 1924, by the 1930s, England regulated ventilation and made asbestosis a work related disease.

After the medical profession proved the link between asbestos, litigation by lawyers has caused industry to revaluate the use of asbestos and it's use has declined. Asbestos fibers are still legal, despite the hazards of exposure, only if manufacturers follow all legally required safety standards.

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.