Asbestos & Mesothelioma Information
- Asbestos
- «Who is at Risk?
- «Who is at fault?
- «Facts about Asbestos
- «Dangers of Asbestos
- Mesothelioma
- «What is Mesothelioma
- «Mesothelioma Diagnosis
- «Mesothelioma Treatments
- «Other Asbestos Related Diseases
- Video Gallery
Facts about Asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. It is flexible, virtually indestructible, and fire resistant. It is estimated that more than 3,000 products used in our society today contain asbestos. Below is a partial listing:
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| This photo from the 1950's shows dramatically how little workers were aware of the dangers of exposure to asbestos. The father brought boxes home from work and gave them to his sons to use for scout activities, without any knowledge of the potential harm. |
- Building insulation
- Pipe covering, insulation, and cement
- Boilers, furnaces, and turbines
- Roofing materials
- Fire proofing and acoustical sprays
- Wall and ceiling panels
- Carpet underlays
- Artificial fireplaces and materials
- Refractory products
- Cement board
- Automotive
- Brake linings and clutch pressure plates
- Patching and spackling compounds
- Electrical wiring
- Cement and cement piping
- Textured paints
- Floor tile, ceiling tile, and linoleum
- Pot holders and ironing boards
- Toasters and other household appliances
- Fireproof cloth
In addition to being flexible, durable, and fire resistant, asbestos is cheap to mine. It is no wonder that this mineral became so popular with manufacturers and builders. The first commercial asbestos mine opened in Canada in the 1870s. Since then, asbestos has been mined in Africa, Australia, Russia, and the United States.
The use of asbestos in insulation and other products became widespread after World War II. By some estimates, about 30 million tons of asbestos fibers were used in the United States in the 20th century. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are asbestos-containing materials in most of the nation's approximately 107,000 primary and secondary schools and 733,000 public and commercial buildings.
In 1989, EPA tried to ban the use of asbestos through certain federal regulations. These regulations were overturned after the asbestos companies sued the EPA. As a result, very few asbestos products are actually banned. Asbestos is still being imported and used in consumer and commercial products. By some estimates, more than 2 million tons of asbestos were imported into the United States in 2007. In addition to the current use of asbestos, millions of tons of asbestos, used decades ago, remain embedded in our buildings and in many products we use every day.