Now You See It, Now You Don't!
TellzAll's subject for March is Asbestos
Throughout history, human beings have utilized the environment to try and live better and more productive lives. For example, new medical discoveries are made daily, allowing people to live longer and more fulfilling lives. Numerous diseases no longer exist thanks to these discoveries. Unfortunately, not all discoveries prove to be as beneficial to humans as these advances may have first appeared.
One discovery that initially had numerous advantages for humans was asbestos. Asbestos is a group of minerals. These minerals generally appear in rock and are clustered together in long, thin lines that are flexible. Asbestos "fibers," as they are known, commonly resemble clumps of thread. Asbestos also is fire resistant.
The first people to use asbestos were the Greeks and Romans more than two thousand years ago. Most early people used asbestos to make cloth. People desired asbestos cloth because it was fire resistant and very durable. It appears that these people used asbestos cloth for tablecloths, burial shrouds, and other uses, but they rarely wore clothes made from asbestos, as asbestos cloth was very itchy against the skin.
In the late 1800s and 1900s, numerous new uses arose for asbestos. Industrialization occurred during this period in numerous countries, including in the United States of America. Businesses used asbestos to protect parts of their products that came in contact with high heat. This commonly included wires and pipes. Manufacturers wrapped these items in asbestos insulation to protect them. Automobile manufacturers also used asbestos to make brake pads. During World War II, asbestos was commonly used in the manufacture of naval vessels. Asbestos has also been used in fireplace bricks and to protect machinery.
During the first part of the 1900s, asbestos seemed to be a miracle product. It had hundreds of uses. It also was readily available, with large supplies in the United States, Russia, and China. Unfortunately, it was soon discovered that asbestos posed a major hazard to people's health. The fibers were easily ingested by miners, manufacturers, and even consumers, causing serious respiratory issues, cancer, and several other commonly fatal illnesses. Governments around the world responded slowly to these fears. Asbestos mine owners and the various businessmen and businesswomen who used asbestos in their products also objected to government regulation of asbestos. As the health problems associated with asbestos became widely known, business owners began to find substitutes for asbestos, although asbestos is still used in several products today. Fortunately, health studies have shown that most health ailments associated with asbestos result only after extended exposure to the mineral. Also exposure must be in very high doses. Government regulation has increasingly resulted, making sure that this "miracle mineral," as the Greeks called it, is used in ways and quantities that are safe for consumers today.
