A brief history of asbestos and its usage
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral deposit that has been and is still cheaply mined usually from large open cast pits in approximately 30 countries. It occurs as thin crystal fibres and is normally crushed and processed close to the mine, then transported as a bulk powder for addition to various materials. It has been attractive for use due to its cheap cost, durability and as an insulator or barrier product due to its chemical and high heat resistance.
The three most commonly utilised types of asbestos are Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos) and Crocidolite (blue asbestos). Less commonly used have been Anthophyllite, Actinolite and Tremolite.
The use of Amosite and Crocidolite was finally banned in the UK in 1985, but Actinolite, Anthophyllite and Tremolite were legally in use until 1992. Finally in November 1999, Chrysotile was banned in the UK, but continued to be used throughout the EU until 2005. Asbestos still remains the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK.
The death rate from mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the organs caused almost exclusively by the inhalation of asbestos fibres) has been steadily rising since 1970 in the UK. Sadly, in 2017 2,523 deaths were reported by the HSE.
Just because it’s banned doesn’t mean it’s gone.
Amazingly, even with the known threat to human health, asbestos is still mined today.
It is widely utilised in Russia, China, Kazakhstan and India, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) is undertaking additional specialist research into what it considers to be a ‘health time bomb’ in the making.
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