It seems that lately all the news about the use of asbestos is negative. It causes lung cancer and mesothelioma, and has been linked to other cancers and health risks. However, many people do not realize that asbestos is still used today because it has many positive characteristics in the construction world.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that comes in six different forms, divided into two families. The serpentine family contains chrysotile and the amphibole group has the other five types: tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite, amosite, and crocidolite. The main characteristic of asbestos is that it comes in fiber bundles that can be easily cut into smaller strands that have a high length-to-diameter ratio. Also, asbestos has high tensile strength and is flexible enough to be spun into fabric or fiber mats. Lastly, they resemble the protein cellulose, which is an important component of the plant’s structure.
As a silicate mineral, asbestos has several important qualities that make it extremely useful in construction and other industries. Silicates tend to be flame retardant, resistant to chemical action, insulating against electricity, not thermally affected, and not readily biodegraded. Therefore, it plays an important role in various industries.
The asbestos streamer family includes chrysotile, which is the most widely used form of the mineral. Serpentine asbestos is used in building materials such as drywall, plaster, vinyl flooring, shingles, shingles, countertops, pipes, fire retardants, and caulk. It is also used in the automotive industry in things like brake pads, gaskets, and clutch plates. Chrysotile is also a component of firefighter equipment such as fire blankets and clothing. As you can see, including chrysotile fibers in the material is a great advantage due to its flame retardant properties.
Amphibole-type asbestos is slightly less common than chrysotile, but is now mostly banned. It was commonly used in insulated roofs, pipes, fiber cement sheets, and thermal and chemical insulating materials.
Asbestos, for all its good qualities, also has some very negative side effects. A specific type of lung cancer, called mesothelioma, is caused by asbestos. Common lung cancer can also be a sign of asbestos poisoning. Additionally, asbestos exposure has been linked to other cancers, including gastrointestinal, colorectal, throat, and esophagus. Lastly, this silicate mineral can cause other problems, such as asbestos warts, pleural plaques in the lungs, and diffuse pleural thickening.
Due to the many disadvantages related to asbestos and your health, it is now banned for multiple uses. However, due to its advantages, there are still industries that use asbestos whenever it is treated to prevent it from flaking into people’s lungs and causing illness.
If you or someone you know has developed mesothelioma as a result of unsafe asbestos, you may be entitled to financial compensation. To learn more about this deadly disease, check out the Williams Kherkher Law Firm today.