Asbestos, composed of various metal cations, was previously widely used for insulation purposes inside buildings. The invisible asbestos fibers have since been recognized as potential health threats, because they can be inhaled and deposited in lung tissue. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, estimates that between 1940 and 1980, 27 million Americans workers were exposed to asbestos. The side effects of exposure depend on many factors: the duration of exposure, the concentration of asbestos fibers, and whether or not any protective...
Asbestos is an industrial mineral with fibers that can lodge in the lungs if people breathe them in, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, or ATSDR. Over time these fibers accumulate and can cause...
Asbestos has been used by people throughout history due to its unique characteristics, which include excellent tensile strength and insulating ability, and resistance to fire, heat, electricity and many corrosive chemicals. Exp...
Asbestos has proven useful to many previous cultures and peoples due to its protective and insulating properties, but it wasn't until the 1970s that governments recognized its hazards to human health and began limiting its use....
The United States Environmental Protection Agency describes asbestos as a mineral fiber found in construction materials, automobile parts, fire retardant fabrics, gaskets, coating for commercial products and packaging material....
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), asbestos is a dangerous substance that can cause cancer and other lung problems when inhaled. Its tiny fibers are difficult to remove from the lungs and...
