November 20-24 is Asbestos Awareness Week.
In recognition of Asbestos Awareness Week we thought we would provide you with 10 random/unknown facts about asbestos.
- Asbestos comes from the Greek word meaning in-extinguishable.
- Asbestos is a natural product that can be mined from the ground.
- Asbestos was mined as early as 5,000 BC in Finland, Sweden, Greece, and Cyprus.
- By 1970 more than 4 million tons of asbestos were produced each year from mines across the world.
- Chrysotile is the most common type of asbestos and is mined in Quebec.
- Amosite is predominantly mined in South Africa.
- Crocidolite is mined in South Africa, Bolivia and Australia
- Despite the known dangers, in 2009, 2 million tons of asbestos were mined worldwide. With Russia and China being the largest producers
- Asbestos has excellent heat resistant and heat/cold insulating qualities, which made it the material of choice for pipe and boiler insulation, corrugated roofs, floor tiles, brake linings, cement and wall tiles.
- In 1820 Italian scientist Giovanni Aldini crafted fireproof clothing from asbestos.
- Exposure to Asbestos can cause Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma, and Asbestosis. But what’s the difference?
- Lung Cancer – Asbestos fibres build up in the lungs damaging healthy cells
- Mesothelioma – The most common cancer associated with asbestos exposure
- Asbestosis – An inflammatory condition that caused scarring in the lungs. It causes shortness of breath, coughing and irreversible lung damage
- The first recorded case of asbestosis is documented in 1924.
- The following occupations have asbestos contamination as a common part of their job:
- Auto mechanics (using a compressed air gun to clean brakes releases millions of asbestos fibres into the air)
- Constructions workers (asbestos containing materials can be used on the walls, ceilings, roofs, insulation and even glue under vinyl)
- Firefighters (once asbestos containing material is burned it becomes friable, meaning it can be crushed by hand and fibres can release into the air)
- Miners (miners who extract asbestos are at risk as are those who live within close proximity to the mine)
- In the 1950’s a British tobacco company introduced a cigarette that used filters made out of asbestos
- Asbestos snow was used in the poppy scene in the Wizard of Oz.