The Unfortunate History of Asbestos, The Miracle Mineral

Centuries ago in ancient Greece, the Greeks named asbestos the “miracle mineral,” because it was both flexible and tough but also able to withstand high amounts of heat. In fact, “asbestos” itself is a Greek word, meaning “inextinguishable.” Even in ancient times, the Greeks recognized that asbestos was dangerous; slaves who worked with the material experienced damage to their lungs. Over the years, asbestos was made into cloths that wowed the guests of royal Persian and Chinese households.

Beginning with the industrial revolution in the mid-nineteenth century, asbestos became a popular source of insulation due to its fire retardant properties. In 1879, the first asbestos mine opened up in the Appalachian region of Quebec. Well into the twentieth century, asbestos was used as a fire-retardant coating in a wide variety of places, from inside drywall to roofing and lawn furniture.

But by the early twentieth century, the medical profession was already beginning to wonder about safety hazards related to the popular insulation, and in 1906 doctors recorded the first documented death from asbestos. Yet, due to corporate business interests, the governments of the world were very slow to stop the production of asbestos. In the US, for example, it wasn't until the late 1970s that problems with asbestos came to the public attention, even though the government had known about the health risks posed by asbestos decades earlier.

What Exactly Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a silicate mineral that occurs naturally and consists of long, stringy crystal fibres. Inhaling these toxic fibres causes serious lung damage, leading to mesothelioma (a form of lung cancer nearly always produced from asbestos exposure), other forms of lung cancer, and asbestosis, a chronic inflammatory condition of the lungs. Much thinner than the human hair, the individual fibres of asbestos easily become airborne and find their way into human lungs, eyes, and skin. Repeated, prolonged exposure to asbestos leads almost inevitably to serious illness.

Asbestos in Australia

In Australia during the post-war period of 1945 to 1980, asbestos was used heavily in construction, shipyards, and power stations. It was also mined in Australia and exported around the world. Although the dangers of the material were already known, it took until the mid-1970s for the use of asbestos to slow down. Today, people exposed to asbestos in Australia thirty or forty years previously are suing mining companies and other industries for asbestos-related illnesses.

Asbestos Removal – Brisbane

Asbestos removal in Brisbane is big business: several asbestos companies offering Brisbane Asbestos Removal exist to remove asbestos from homes, buildings, and especially asbestos removal from roofs, where asbestos in home construction was concentrated. Roof replacement in Brisbane should be only ever handled by a licensed, fully certified company. Consider that asbestos removal and Brisbane roofing  replacement due to asbestos can put families at risk if they are not properly handled, so finding an asbestos removal Brisbane company that is qualified to do this job is of prime importance. Likewise, when it comes to roof replacement, Brisbane companies chosen for the job should be thoroughly investigated before hiring them.