What are the dangers of Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was first used in the 1800's but it was not until the Second World War that it's use became mainstream in industry. Laws on how asbestos could be used were introduced in the US during the 70's that restricted how asbestos was used by industry.

Industry was faced by more tightening of the regulations in the way in which it could use asbestos after the EPA issued more laws curtailing the use of asbestos in the 1980's. There was much publicity about asbestos and many people today are aware of the dangers asbestos poses for the general public at large and also for the environment.

Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally in nature in fibre bundles. The reasons why asbestos was so popular with industry was that it has amazing resistance to heat and chemicals and it dose not conduct electricity. With it's unbeatable properties of heat and chemical resistance many uses for asbestos were found in the home and industry.

Stage curtains, caulk, joint compound as well as less obvious uses such as crayons are just some of the uses for asbestos. The construction industry found many uses for asbestos, as tiles, in paints and adhesive. If it can be ensured that the asbestos is contained and unable to reach the outside environment then the use of asbestos is legal.

Asbestos exposure can be fatal as many of its effects are incurable with current medication. One of the best-known asbestos diseases is asbestosis, often called asbestos lung, which leads to shortness of breath and lung damage.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. Pericardial mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the heart; pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lung.

Despite centuries of asbestos mining and usage, asbestos exposure has only recently been recognized as a health hazard. The term Mesothelioma was not used in medical literature until 1931, and was not associated with asbestos until sometime in the 1940s.

Asbestos has been in a marked decline as soon as victims of asbestos exposure began to take legal action for compensation. The legal case between Corrosion Proof Fittings v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency leaves many consumer products that can still legally contain trace amounts of 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.

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