Asbestos
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a tough, nearly indestructible fiber composed of mineral silicates. There are four types of asbestos: crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile, and tremolite. Asbestos exists in thousands of materials, including cement products, floor tiles, roofing, fireproofing material, and insulation. Inhalation of asbestos fiber particles can result in the fibers settling deep within the lungs and producing scars on the lung tissue. This produces a form the lung disease pulmonary fibrosis that is called asbestosis.
There are currently strict US government standards to prevent lung diseases that may be caused by exposure to asbestos. Products and materials that contain asbestos must be manufactured so that the fibers cannot release particles into the air where they may be inhaled. Current danger from asbestos exposure exists in the form of products and materials manufactured before the government guidelines were in place. Structures and buildings still exist that include asbestos-containing materials and may present the risk of asbestos particle inhalation. The removal or destruction of these materials must be undertaken with special procedures and extreme caution.