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The History of Asbestos

RELIGION

Asbestos is a highly versatile, strong, cheap, non- ammable malleable substance that
has been used in building, textiles and construction for the last 2000 years. Asbestos is
also a highly toxic airborne brous substance that causes a number of di erent incurable
cancers in the humans that are exposed to it. Asbestos is in many homes around the
world and is still being used.
Asbestos became popular in the building industry for its natural properties and
a ordability desirable physical properties:[1]sound absorption, average tensile strength
itsresistance to re, heat, electrical and chemical damage. When asbestos is used for its
resistance to re or heat, the bers are often mixed with cement or woven into fabric or
mats. These desirable properties made asbestos a very widely used material, and its use
continued to grow throughout most of the 20th century until the carcinogenic (cancer-

causing) e ects of asbestos dust caused its e ective demise as a mainstream

construction and reproo ng material in most countries
So how did Asbestos become so wide spread? Where did it come from and how to we rid
ourselves of the asbestos that is in more than a 3rd of the homes around the world?

Asbestos is a Naturally Occurring Mineral

Asbestos is mined straight from the ground. It is a naturally occurring mineral that can be
dug out of the earths surface, with Russia as the greatest supplier or Asbestos. There are
six di erent types of Asbestos, de ned mostly by their colour.
Asbestos is minded from an open pit and looks a lot like wood in its raw form. After it is
separated from the earth and other matter, the asbestos is processed and re ned into
u y bres. These bres are then mixed with a binding agent a lot like cement. Sheets
and pipes made from Asbestos are not 100 percent asbestos but simply a product that
contains asbestos.

Asbestos in Ancient Times

Asbestos has been mined and used for over 4 000 years, however it was not mined on a
large scale until the 19th century when it started to be used in housing. Health issues
related to asbestos exposure can be found in records dating back to Roman times.
The word asbestos comes from the ancient Greek, meaning unquenchable or
inextinguishable. Pliny (the younger) make reference to clothes being made
ofasbestinonin his earliest journals. He states, it is rare and impressive and sold for the

same price and the nest pearls. He makes note of people cleaning their napkins by
setting them on re. He also makes note of a sickness in the asbestos miners, but there
are few details relating to this.

Toxicity

Toxicity
Pliny the Younger wrote in AD 61-114 that slaves who worked with the mineral asbestos
became ill, there seems to be no exact reference that can be found. Word of mouth only.
For a long time the damaging e ects of Asbestos bres to people, it was not until 1924 that
the very rst case of asbestosis was diagnosed. Asbestosis would later be called
Mesothelioma as the cancer that asbestos causes e ects themesothelial cells.

Asbestos and the Industrial Revolution

Asbestos regained signi cant popularity as the world, speci cally Great Britain, entered
the Industrial Revolution. As powered machinery and steam power became more and
more prevalent, so did the need for an e cient and e ect way to control the heat needed
to create and power the machines at the centre of the paradigm shift. Asbestos served as
a perfect insulator for high-temperature products like steam pipes, turbines, ovens, and
kilns; all things that helped facilitate the Industrial Revolution.
The increase in demand for asbestos sparked the rst commercial asbestos mines to open
in 1879 in Quebec providence of Canada. Mines opened shortly thereafter in Russia,
Australia, and South Africa. By 1900, doctors started reporting lung sickness and
pulmonary brosis in patients who had worked in asbestos textile factories and asbestos
mines.
Despite the resurgence of health concerns, asbestos became very important in the United
States as the railroad infrastructure was put into place. Asbestos hasbecome an
important solution to prevent heat build up and temperature uctuation in steam powered
trains, and again when the steam powered trains shifted to diesel power. By WWII,
asbestos was being used in the shipping industry (as insulation to components subjected

to high heat), the automobile industry (as brake and clutch lining), and in the construction
industry (in a wide variety of products included insulation, siding, and cement).

Asbestos and the Industrial Revolution

During the industrial revolution asbestos rose in popularity because of its amazing ability
to control heat. Asbestos served as a perfect insulator for high-temperature products like
steam pipes, turbines, ovens, and kilns; all things that helped facilitate the Industrial
Revolution and the industrialisation of production and manufacture.
The increase in demand for asbestos sparked the rst commercial asbestos mines to open
in 1879 in Quebec providence of Canada. It was not long after this mine opened that
others were established in Russia, Australia, and South Africa. By 1900, doctors started
reporting lung sickness and pulmonary brosis in patients who had worked in asbestos
textile factories and asbestos mines.
Despite the resurgence of health concerns, asbestos became very important in the United
States as the railroad infrastructure was put into place. wether the toxic risk of Asbestos
was underestimated, ignored or hidden, asbestos played a huge part in the production
and building of railway lines all over the world.
By WWII, asbestos was being used in the shipping industry, the automobile industry (as
brake and clutch lining), and in the construction industry (in a wide variety of products
included insulation, siding, and cement).

Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Mesothelioma is the cancer that a ects the mesothelial cells. The mesothelial cells cover
almost every organ inside your body. These cells form a lubricating and protective
coating over the organs called a mesothelium. Mesothelioma is the cancer of the
mesothelial cells.

Almost everyone who is diagnosed with mesothelioma was exposed to Asbestos, be it

from the workplace, home or air-bone bres.

James Hardie and Asbestos

James Hardie was one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of Asbestos in
Australia. While many companies over the last 50 years have been paying compensation
to employees who were victim to Asbestos related diseases and cancers. The history of
Asbestos is closely linked to its victims however it is too enormous to cover in this article,
read more on James Hardie Hereand Here.

Asbestos Removal in Homes

The removal of Asbestos from building and homes will be a long and expensive process.
Asbestos can only be disposed of at aregistered disposal facility. These sites are
registered with the Australian government and are the only people that can perform the
disposal. It is illegal to leave asbestos anywhere else in Australia.
While it is legal for you to remove Asbestos from your home yourself, it is advised that you
do not undertake this process alone. Safety equipment, breathing apparatus and the
proper means to clean up afterwards should be factored into your asbestos removal.
While the toxic and carcinogenic qualities of asbestos are widely known, there are still a
number of countries in the world that are mining huge amounts of asbestos for
commercial use. We can be sure that no more of it is used in Australia, but there is no
such uniform ban on the substance throughout the world.

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 BY HISTORY COOPERATIVE

WRITTEN BY HISTORY COOPERATIVE

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and dedicated technical sta who share a love for history. If you would love
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