Before it was found to be a carcinogen, or cancer-causing substance,
asbestos was hailed as a miracle material by industries. Resistant to
heat, fire, chemicals, and the weather, the fibrous mineral was used at
the end of the 19th century and continued in widespread use throughout
much of the 20th century, surging during World War II and peaking in the
1960s. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that can be pulled into a
fluffy consistency. Asbestos fibers are soft and flexible yet resistant
to heat, electricity and corrosion. These qualities make the mineral
useful, but they also make asbestos exposure highly toxic.
Asbestos is not a single mineral — rather, it refers to a group of silicate minerals that share the same fibrous nature. In layman’s terms, it is often called “white asbestos” (chrysotile), the rarer “blue asbestos” (crocidolite) and “brown asbestos” (amosite).
Pure asbestos is an effective insulator, and it can be used in cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other materials to make them stronger. But when someone inhales or ingests asbestos dust, the mineral fibers can become forever trapped in their body.
Over decades, trapped asbestos fibers can cause inflammation, scarring and eventually genetic damage to the body’s cells. A rare and aggressive cancer called mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos also causes other forms of cancer as well as progressive lung disease.
Legally, the U.S. government recognizes six types of asbestos that fall into two categories, as outlined in the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) of 1986.Scientifically, other asbestiform minerals exist that may be just as dangerous as the six legally recognized types. In 2008, legislation was introduced in Congress that would have extended the definition of asbestos to include other amphibole minerals such as winchite and richterite.
In the decades since AHERA was passed, though, every further attempt to regulate asbestos in the U.S. has failed due to pressure from business interests.
No amount of asbestos exposure is safe, but asbestos generally has the worst effects when a person is exposed to an intense concentration of it, or they are exposed on a regular basis over a long period of time. Asbestos poses a health hazard when the tiny asbestos fibers become airborne and are inhaled. Because of its fibrous character, inhaled asbestos can get embedded in the lungs or the lining of the lungs (the pleura) where it can accumulate with repeated or long-term exposure. Eventually, the fibers can cause scarring and inflammation and result in breathing problems or other serious health problems, including fibrosis of the lungs, lung cancer and mesothelioma — cancer of the mesothelium, the lining of many organs throughout the body.
More asbestos accumulates in the body with every exposure, and there is no known way to reverse the cellular damage it causes. The vast majority of patients with asbestos-related diseases are men in their 60s or older. This is because asbestos-related diseases have a very long latency period, often taking decades to develop, and they usually trace back to occupational exposure at workplaces historically staffed by men.
Asbestos is not a single mineral — rather, it refers to a group of silicate minerals that share the same fibrous nature. In layman’s terms, it is often called “white asbestos” (chrysotile), the rarer “blue asbestos” (crocidolite) and “brown asbestos” (amosite).
Pure asbestos is an effective insulator, and it can be used in cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other materials to make them stronger. But when someone inhales or ingests asbestos dust, the mineral fibers can become forever trapped in their body.
Over decades, trapped asbestos fibers can cause inflammation, scarring and eventually genetic damage to the body’s cells. A rare and aggressive cancer called mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos also causes other forms of cancer as well as progressive lung disease.
Legally, the U.S. government recognizes six types of asbestos that fall into two categories, as outlined in the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) of 1986.Scientifically, other asbestiform minerals exist that may be just as dangerous as the six legally recognized types. In 2008, legislation was introduced in Congress that would have extended the definition of asbestos to include other amphibole minerals such as winchite and richterite.
In the decades since AHERA was passed, though, every further attempt to regulate asbestos in the U.S. has failed due to pressure from business interests.
No amount of asbestos exposure is safe, but asbestos generally has the worst effects when a person is exposed to an intense concentration of it, or they are exposed on a regular basis over a long period of time. Asbestos poses a health hazard when the tiny asbestos fibers become airborne and are inhaled. Because of its fibrous character, inhaled asbestos can get embedded in the lungs or the lining of the lungs (the pleura) where it can accumulate with repeated or long-term exposure. Eventually, the fibers can cause scarring and inflammation and result in breathing problems or other serious health problems, including fibrosis of the lungs, lung cancer and mesothelioma — cancer of the mesothelium, the lining of many organs throughout the body.
More asbestos accumulates in the body with every exposure, and there is no known way to reverse the cellular damage it causes. The vast majority of patients with asbestos-related diseases are men in their 60s or older. This is because asbestos-related diseases have a very long latency period, often taking decades to develop, and they usually trace back to occupational exposure at workplaces historically staffed by men.
