What are the dangers of Asbestos Exposure

War is the mother of invention and this is born out by the sudden increase in the use of asbestos during the Second World War. 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.

Industry found that the use of asbestos was further restricted after the Environmental Protection Agency issued more laws controlling the use of asbestos in industry during the 1980's. 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 is a mineral that occurs naturally in nature in fibre bundles. The reason why asbestos was so widely adopted by industry was because of the heat and chemical properties it possessed. The wide spread use of asbestos was because of the almost magical properties it possessed, gaining it many uses in manufacturing.

Asbestos was used to make joint compound, gaskets and various fire proofing aids. 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. 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.

Unfortunately, asbestos exposure can carry significant health risks, some of which are untreatable and incurable at the present time. Lung damage caused by breathing in asbestos fibres is called asbestosis; it causes permanent lung damage resulting in a shortness of breath.

Another disease caused by asbestos is a cancer of the lining around the major organs of the body called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma usually affects the lungs or the heart of the victim.

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. 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.

The use of asbestos has declined due to the level of litigation that has taken place by its victims once the link between asbestos and the diseases it caused had been established. Follow the right safety guidelines and it is legal for manufacturers to use 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.

Removal Rapping Asbestos
Removing Asbestos Duct
Removing Asbestos Popcorn Ceiling
Removing Old Asbestos Vinyl Tile
Renal Angiomyolipomas And Asbestos Exposure
Residential Asbestos Abatement Costs
Residential Asbestos Removal Bags