Asbestos, the first inconvenient truth? A history of asbestos and the associated health risks

Many people are surprised to learn, especially in the context of our modern understanding of its toxic and harmful properties that asbestos is a naturally occurring and extremely useful mineral and no material from human made. But even more amazing is that the toxicity and potentially harmful nature of asbestos has been realised thousands of years ago!
Asbestos was mined from the ground and over 3000 years! As in more recent times, it was the ancient civilisations who first used it many uses. The Greeks, Egyptians, Persians and Romans asbestos used for various purposes including Candle Wicks, clothing, building materials, insulation and the heat and flame retardants. Due to these latter properties the word asbestos itself derives from the Greek term for indelible and the Greeks it described these properties as the miracle or magic mineral in recognition.
The use of asbestos is to, thought by many to be a modern practice, but not unique. However, is the manifestation of serious health issues relating to the use of asbestos a modern phenomenon surely? The answer must again, unfortunately, in the negative will be transferred. Because while the huge benefits of asbestos of antiquity, they also realized that workers (mostly slaves), which for the asbestos mineral from the soil removed and items that were manufactured with asbestos develop lung diseases. A Roman observers of the time is also for the protection of workers against the inhalation of asbestos fibres from deployment and the use of a form of early dust mask.
Went back to the use of asbestos in the middle ages. While there was a huge increase in the use of asbestos to the industrial revolution more than at any time is above. It was now set on a still wider range of applications including insulation for pipes and boilers, steam locomotives, brake and clutch linings, fire doors, etc, that were used in almost endless thanks to its "magical" properties. These and many other ways for many years until a decline in health risks using its use in the 1970s after increasing pressure not to due to the, by then, more frequently known served millions and millions of tonnes of asbestos. But millions of workers had suspended at this time the damaging fibres. In addition to the miners and workers who have been directly in the asbestos industry and her family, the proximity to the works lived also exposed. It is shocking that would often make the workers home after work looking for asbestos dust covered "Snowmen" and disclose their often very young families to it. This led members of the family, the development of the same species often very serious asbestos diseases as the workers developed.
Like the old ones before them, the Victorians began to realize, or at least rediscover the very hazardous nature of asbestos fibres and the risk to health from asbestos disease. In 1898 the annual report of the Chief Inspector of factories and workshops of the Government reported ' appointed by all dusty, especially under observation in 1898 came three... stand out due to its easily proven medically attributed the employment risk to the health of workers, and because of the identified cases of injury of bronchus and lungs of the sick. These professions were asbestos spinning and roll.... The evil effects of asbestos dust have also attracted my attention, a microscopic examination of this mineral dust from HM medical inspector was revealed the impact were clearly sharp glass-like serrated nature of particles and where they go and remain suspended in the air of a room are allowed in any quantity, found damaging as expected could be.... The employee may continue for a very long time before the symptoms of evil are marked.' There were many more reports to follow research documents and changes in legislation to prioritize the risks of asbestos disease for the Government(s) and the employers even despite this growing number of prove it took nearly a further century an invitation ban implemented the use of asbestos! In the meantime, millions of workers were exposed to be rich seed of a health crisis now felt by thousands of these workers, the asbestos-related diseases as a result, have developed. These diseases include malignant mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer, asbestosis, pleural thickening and pleural plaques.
Unfortunately use increased at the same time actually very little action of asbestos until the 1970s, and despite the changes in the legislation for the protection of workers in fact to do so from employers despite all evidence of the risks of asbestos disease. What is even more regrettable is that the historical record shows that employers are exposing their workers to asbestos continue to knowledge about the risks of asbestos disease become full and conspired, to hide this information from the workers themselves, who have not been cases in most of the risks or fully aware of the risks and how she could protect themselves from these risks! Simple steps could by the employers to want some protection in the form of masks, breathing apparatus, etc. taken employees and you.
Unfortunately, the historical records that big business and the pursuit of receive large profits in the proper warnings and protection, the workers available which shows. In pursuit of the prize of this big profits, company hidden asbestos the inconvenient truth that asbestos is a potential killer from which the most vulnerable and at risk. This is a hard fact is suffering from asbestos disease have, if they learn to swallow this coverage. It should be recalled that there no cure for the known as mesothelioma asbestos disease and suffering live following may only 9 to 12 months of diagnosis. It is a serious and frightening State.

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