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What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos minerals share characteristics

Asbestos is the common name applied to a group of fibrous minerals mined in Canada, South Africa, the former Soviet Union, and the United States.  Asbestos fibers are long, flexible strands of minerals. There are six types of asbestos that can be combined or used separately:

  • Amosite
  • Chrysotile
  • Crocidolite
  • Tremolite
  • Actinolite
  • Anthophyllite

These minerals occur naturally in the environment, are resistant to heat and chemical reactions, and have low electrical conductivity.  Asbestos has been used in thousands of products because of its strength, flexibility, and heat resistance.

The history and regulation of asbestos

Asbestos use dates back to Ancient Greece, where it was used in cloth. The ancient Romans used it in building materials. Asbestos use reached North America in the late 1800s when Canada began to mine it commercially.  Soon after, asbestos became popular in the United States.  Usage reached its peak during World War II.

Because of the availability and relatively inexpensive cost of asbestos, thousands of industrial, consumer, and household products containing asbestos were manufactured, including:

  • Industrial and maritime products
  • Building materials
  • Electrical and household insulation
  • Brakes and other automotive parts
  • Pipes
  • Cements
  • Tiles
  • Consumer items
  • Household appliances

As early as the 1930s, asbestos manufacturers knew about the health risks surrounding their product, but they chose to conceal the information from the public.  The U.S. government waited until the 1970s to implement any regulations.  In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) attempted to ban most new asbestos uses, but uses established prior to 1989 were still allowed.  Asbestos is still not banned in the United States.

Regulations by the EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have significantly reduced the amount of asbestos use in the United States from 719,000 metric tons in 1973 to about 9,000 metric tons in 2002.  Over the years, permissible exposure limits (PEL) have become more restrictive—from 12 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc) in 1971 to 0.1 f/cc currently in regulation.

While asbestos use has been regulated—but not banned—in the United States, asbestos is now banned in all 27 European Union member countries, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Chile, and Japan.