About Asbestos

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which has been used all over the world in a huge range of applications since its first discovery. The chief physical properties of asbestos are its durability and resistance to heat and combustion. Much like rebar in a concrete structure, asbestos fibers provide durability to otherwise unstable materials.

Why is Asbestos so dangerous?

Asbestos is an extremely fibrous mineral and mining, milling, processing, or use of asbestos and its products create many small fibers. Because of their thin shape and small size, the asbestos fibers easily pass through the body's natural defenses designed to trap debris within the respiratory systems before reaching the lungs. Once inside the lungs, the asbestos fibers lodge into the sensitive tissue of the lungs where they can cause scarring, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. Extensive scarring can lead to asbestosis.

I think I was exposed to asbestos, will I become ill?

If you believe you were exposed to asbestos, you should notify your physician and continue to get regular checkups to monitor your health. Being exposed to asbestos does not mean that you will become ill. Only some people who have had asbestos exposure develop asbestos-related diseases like malignant mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen) or asbestosis (non-cancerous scarring of the lungs). If you suspect you are suffering from an asbestos-related disease, contact your physician immediately. If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, you should learn about available treatments, seek out specialists in treating your asbestos-related disease, and make sure your legal rights are being protected. You may also want to contact a legal expert to understand what compensation you might be entitled to for your illness.

Where has Asbestos been used?

In many countries, asbestos is still mined, processed, and used. In a growing number of others, asbestos is either banned, or its use is severely restricted. Hundreds of products have used asbestos in their manufacture, and many of these products are still in place today in our homes and offices.

Asbestos has been used in industry since about the 1880's. As early as 1918, American and Canadian insurance companies were no longer insuring asbestos workers because of the assumed health hazards of the asbestos industry. In 1935, researchers in both the United States and England reported a suspected association between asbestos exposure and lung cancer. By 1955 this association had been confirmed and the link to several other types of cancer had been made as well.

However, the asbestos industry spent—and continues to spend—large sums of money trying to play down the hazards of exposure to asbestos fibers and to fight off stricter legislation.