What is Asbestos

Many people like learning more about the world that they live in. If you feel like this, then one thing that you should start learning more about is the Earth's minerals. But since there are so many different minerals out there, you are probably wondering where you should start. The best place to start is with asbestos. After all, asbestos has been a very prominent mineral for hundreds of years, so it is good to know what it is. So, what is asbestos?

Details of asbestos

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that has been used for many different things over hundreds of years. The main thing that you should knot about asbestos is that it is very useful, but it is also harmful. There are three main kinds of asbestos and these are white, brown, and blue asbestos. The white asbestos is usually gotten from Canada, while the brown asbestos is gotten from Africa. The blue asbestos is gotten in Australia and Africa.

Why asbestos is used

The reason that asbestos used to be commonly used is because it was wonderful at stopping fires from starting and nobody knew that it was bad for your health. Asbestos used to be used in a lot of blankets and clothes because it would prevent them from catching on fire. The fibers of asbestos were also mixed in with cement so that the walls of houses would not burn down as easy.

Why is asbestos bad?

So, why is asbestos so bad for people? The reason that asbestos is so bad for people is because it can cause lung cancer. The exact name of lung cancer that asbestos can cause is called mesothelioma. Asbestos is a very potent carcinogen and when it is breathed in, it can cause people to develop breathing problems. Over time, the breathing problems will turn into lung cancer, which is not good. Even though it may be useful to have fire resistant blankets and clothes, it really is not worth the price that you pay. You do not want to develop lung cancer because it is much more trouble to cure than a burnt piece of clothing or a burnt blanket.

 

Now that you know what asbestos is, you should make sure that the products you use do not have any of this mineral in them. New products will not, but products from the 1970s and earlier will. Most likely there will not be asbestos in the products, but it is always good to check because asbestos has the potential to be an extremely deadly product and you do not want to be exposed to high concentrations of it. Asbestos was a good thing in the past, since it prevented many fires from occurring. But now that we have new ways to prevent fires, asbestos is not needed. Even if it were needed, it probably wouldn’t be used because it can cause people to develop lung cancer. It is always good to know more about certain products and it is no different when it comes to asbestos. Just make sure that you stay away from this product and you will know that you are living a healthy life.