What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. It is mined and milled from rock and is thin and strong. Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos), and Crocidolite (blue asbestos), are the most common types of asbestos used in manufacturing. Rarer forms are Tremolite, Anthophyllite, and Actinolite. When viewed under a microscope, Chrysotile fibers are pliable and cylindrical and are often arranged in bundles, whereas Amosite and Chrocidolite fibers appear to look like tiny needles.
The term “asbestos” refers to a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals found in soil and rocks around the world. These minerals are composed of magnesium, silicon, and other elements. Due to its unique properties, asbestos has been used as an insulating material since ancient times. Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, another type of cancer.
Asbestos is a common name for any of a group of fibrous silicate minerals resistant to acid and fire. Asbestos usually occurs as veins in rocks and seems to be a product of metamorphism. Chrysotile asbestos (H4Mg3Si2O9), a form of serpentine, the most important commercial asbestos, has curly fibers. Amphibole, the other main type, has needlelike fibers. Asbestos is produced chiefly in Canada; asbestos products include brake and clutch linings, water pipe, and roofing materials. Studies have shown that amphibole asbestos particles in the air can cause lung cancer and the lung disease asbestosis, and many former and all new uses of asbestos in the U.S. have been banned.
