What are the dangers of Asbestos Exposure

Industry's adoption of asbestos began during the 19th century and slowly increased until the second world was when it's use rose dramatically. Asbestos fibres being found in the environment forced the Consumer Product and Safety Commission to issue laws controlling the use of asbestos.

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 are probably not many people in the modern world who are not aware of the dangers of inhaling asbestos.

Asbestos fibre occurs naturally as fibre bundles and it was these that were mined to create asbestos used in industry. There are few products that have the same fire and chemical resistance that asbestos possesses. With it's unbeatable properties of heat and chemical resistance many uses for asbestos were found in the home and industry.

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. The construction industry used asbestos as a fire retardant as well as a sound proofing material. Asbestos is legal if it can be proven that its use will not harm humans or the environment.

Exposure to asbestos is serious; the health risks associated with asbestos are high because some of the illnesses caused by asbestos are incurable. Lung damage caused by breathing in asbestos fibres is called asbestosis; it causes permanent lung damage resulting in a shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of another asbestos related ailment called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is often found around either the heart or lungs.

Despite centuries of asbestos mining and usage, asbestos exposure has only recently been recognized as a health hazard. It has taken the medical profession many years to tie asbestos exposure to the disease; this is because it can take from 10 to 50 years for the symptoms to become apparent.

A complete ban on asbestos containing material in Australia was introduced in 1991 although some building materials in storage were still being used in the years that followed. It is legal to use asbestos if all of the legal safety guidelines are followed; this is despite the known risks associated with 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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