What is Asbestos?
DEFINING ASBESTOS
A Brief History
A completely natural silicate mineral that is comprised of fibrous crystals that are long and thin, Asbestos takes its name from a Greek adjective that is defined as “inextinguishable.”Asbestos is a highly toxic substance that can have a devastating effect on the lives of those whose health it has affected: Mesothelioma, Lung-Cancer and Asbestosis are the major diseases and conditions associated with the inhalation of – and exposure to – Asbestos.
It was during the latter part of the 19th Century that the use of Asbestos in both the manufacturing and building industries became both popular and widespread – chiefly as a direct result of: (a) the ability of Asbestos to withstand and resist heat and high temperatures; (b) its resistance to chemical damage and electricity; (c) its sound-absorption qualities; and (d) its overall tensile strength.
To illustrate the sheer and ongoing demand for Asbestos that still exists today, in 2006 alone, more than two-million tons was mined worldwide, with Russia currently being the biggest producer: the country produces approximately 40 percent of the annual, worldwide supply of Asbestos. The other largest producers of Asbestos are: China, Kazakhstan, and Canada.
Minerals
There are six specific minerals that are defined as Asbestos: Chrysotile; Actinolite; Tremolite; Amosite; Crocidolite; and Anthophyllite.
Of the six minerals at issue, Amosite is certainly the most dangerous - as a result of its hollow, straight fiber structure that may remain airborne for up to three-days.
Asbestos and Illness
The earliest documented fatality that was conclusively linked to exposure Asbestos occurred in 1906. Indeed, it was during the first two decades of the 20th Century that a disturbing pattern began to emerge: of lung-disease, early-deaths and poorly-understood related conditions in mining-communities around the world.
The first accurate diagnosis of Asbestosis was made in England in 1924; and within a decade law-makers in the country had passed legislation that required safer working environments for personnel exposed to Asbestos.
However, an understanding of the links between Asbestos and Mesothelioma did not begin to develop or formulate to any meaningful degree within the scientific and medical communities until the 1940s.
While not impossible, it is extremely rare – and indeed highly unlikely – that either (a) short-term exposure to low-levels of Asbestos, or (b) a one-time exposure to a high-level of Asbestos will lead to the development of Mesothelioma. Rather, the disease is one that almost exclusively develops as a result of regular, long-term exposure.
