Asbestos

Asbestos is a silicate mineral that commonly occurs in nature. Unlike typical silicates, however, the molecular structure of asbestos is fibrous; that is, its atoms are arranged in long, thin molecules that resemble threads.

The threadlike nature of asbestos gives it a number of unusual properties, the most useful of which is that it can be spun, woven, and used to make a fabric. In this form, the mineral nature of asbestos is combined with the flexibility and utility of cloth, making it an ideal material for use in construction.

As a mineral, asbestos is tough, nonreactive, and an excellent insulator against heat and electrical current; it is also fireproof. This makes asbestos an ideal insulating and protective covering for piping, machinery, and all types of industrial equipment. It was once also widely used in the walls, floors, and ceilings of buildings; in the making of boilers, power plants and ship engines, in fireproof clothing and other materials; and in appliances.

Unfortunately, asbestos is toxic. When flexed or otherwise disturbed, the crystalline threads of asbestos shatter, releasing billions of microscopic shards into the air as dust. When inhaled, these tiny, razor-sharp “dust particles” slice through the lung wall and into the cells of the mesothelium, where they mutate the mesothelial cells and turn them cancerous.

This ability of asbestos to trigger mesothelioma is the reason for the near-ban on asbestos starting in the 1970s – and for the large number of workers with mesothelioma today.