What are the dangers of Asbestos Exposure

The Second World War was the time when asbestos was used the most by industry since it's introduction in the 19th century. 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 EPA strengthened the laws on the use of asbestos in the 80's, banning the use of asbestos in any new use. Many people remain ignorant today on how dangerous asbestos is to people and the environment.

Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally in nature in fibre bundles. 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 was widely used in the home as well as the factory with asbestos being used in crayons as well as fire blankets. In the construction industry, asbestos fibers are used in ceiling tiles; paint that is lead based, plastics, adhesives, soundproofing material and insulation. Industry can still use asbestos but only if it can be proven that it is not possible for the asbestos to come into contact with people or the environment.

Humans can die from a number of incurable and untreatable ailments associated with coming into contact with asbestos. 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.

Another source of asbestos litigation is for mesothelioma, which is a cancer that develops in the protective lining of the body's major organs. Symptoms of mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a build-up of fluid in the abdominal cavity).

Asbestos became more widespread during the industrial revolution; in the 1860s it was used as insulation in the U.S. and Canada, this is long before the modern world recognised the hazards of asbestos. Because symptoms of exposure can take 10 to 50 years to show up, it took medical professionals a great deal of time to connect the disease to it.

Due to litigation for asbestosis or mesothelioma industry has fallen out of favour with asbestos. In 1989 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule, which was overturned in 1991.

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.

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