Asbestos Fibers causes more harm than one thinks:

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Asbestos fibers are extremely resistant to destruction in body fluids, and many of these fibers are too long to be engulfed and removed by the cells that normally scavenge and remove particles that happen to deposit in the lungs. Asbestos fibers are commonly found in the steel, plumbing, electrical, and insulation industries. When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they may gettrapped in the lungs.

Because asbestos fibers areresistant to breakdown in the lungs, the inflammatory response triggered by the fibers is ongoing,even after exposure has ceased. Each time the pieces of ore get smaller until the last asbestos fibers are captured and the remaining ore is so small that it falls through the screen and is discarded. Because asbestos fibers are highly resistant to chemicals, they do not evaporate into air or dissolve in water, and they do not break down over time.

Asbestos Fibers:

Fibers embedded in lung tissue over time may result in lung diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma. Fibers are often curvilinear with splayed ends. If products containing asbestos are disturbed, thin, lightweight asbestos fibers are released into the air.

In general, exposure to asbestos may occur only when the asbestos-containing material is disturbed in some way to release particles and fibers into the air. If you suspect that you may be exposed to asbestos in your home, contact your state or local health department or the regional offices of EPA to find out how to test your home and how to locate a company that is trained to remove or contain the fibers. Untrained individuals performing asbestos-related work can expose themselves, other individuals in the building, or their own families by having their clothing or skin contaminated with asbestos fibers. As much as 50 percent or more of inhaled asbestos fibers can remain lodged in the lungs, where it is almost impossible for the body to eliminate them.

Asbestos Products:

Because asbestos has so many useful properties, it has been used in thousands of different products,including:pipe insulationinsulation on boilers, turbines and other heat-generating industrial equipmentinsulation on hair dryers and other consumer productsfireproofing and acoustical spraysbrake pads, clutch pressure plates and other friction productsfireproof cloth and other textileswallboard, joint compound and wall texturecement and cement pipingelectrical wiringfloor tile and linoleum. Of the six types, the minerals chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite have been most commonly used in building products.

Products containing asbestos paper, such as table pads and heat-protective mats, heat and electrical wire insulation, industrial filters for beverages, and underlying material for sheet flooring. While the fatal effects of exposure to compromised asbestos fibers have been understood for many years, some manufacturers and employers continue to use the mineral in their products or fail to regulate the safety levels outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Many companies that produced asbestos-cement products that were reinforced with asbestos fibres have developed products incorporating organic fibres. People who work in occupations involving the mining, milling, manufacturing, and use of asbestos and its products, including construction and demolition workers, are more likely to get lung cancer than the general population