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. Evidence that asbestos was appearing in the environment was the reason why the Consumer Product and Safety Commission began to legislate on asbestos during the 70's.

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. 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. It is the resistance to heat and chemicals that make asbestos so appealing to industry. Products containing asbestos were wide spread throughout most industries.

Asbestos based products were used in most walks of life, from lagging boilers to brake pads for cars. The fire retardant nature of asbestos as well as its sound proofing qualities made it an ideal material for the construction industry. 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. 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.

Asbestos has been used through out history; the original name came from the ancient Greeks who recognised that there were hazards associated with the material. The first documented death related to asbestos was in 1906; in the early 1900s researchers began to notice a large number of early deaths and lung problems in asbestos mining towns.

As asbestos litigation becomes more common, the use of this substance has, in most applications, declined. 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.

Asbestos Settlement Boise
Asbestos Settlement Buffalo
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Asbestos Settlement Cleveland