What are the dangers of Asbestos Exposure

Mining and commercial use of asbestos began in the 1800s, and grew significantly during World War II. Laws on how asbestos could be used were introduced in the US during the 70's that restricted how asbestos was used by industry.

The 1980's saw the Environmental Protection Agency take asbestos to task and issued laws stating that asbestos could only be used in uses, which it could be proven that asbestos had been used prior to the laws being passed. Mounting environmental pressure forced people to become better educated about the effects and harm that asbestos poses.

Asbestos bundles that occur naturally can be split into individual asbestos fibres. Asbestos looked like the wonder product for industry because of its heat and chemical resistance. Products containing asbestos were wide spread throughout most industries.

The list of uses for asbestos goes on and on but here are a few of the more well known uses it was put to vinyl floor tiles, sheeting, adhesives, clutch plates and stage curtains. It would be well to assume that any building built before the 1990's have been constructed with asbestos or materials containing asbestos. As long as it can be ensured that the asbestos fibres are unable to become exposed to the environment, then their use is legal.

Unfortunately, asbestos exposure can carry significant health risks, some of which are untreatable and incurable at the present time. Inhaling asbestos fibres commonly results in asbestosis, an inflammation of the lungs caused by the asbestos fibres aggravating the lining of the lungs.

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. Symptoms of mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a build-up of fluid in the abdominal cavity).

History notes that Greek and roman slaves whose job it was to weave asbestos fibres into cloth often suffered from damaged lungs. 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.

Asbestos has been in a marked decline as soon as victims of asbestos exposure began to take legal action for compensation. 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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