asbestos
Sign in to saveAsbestos or asbestus ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, fibrous silicate minerals, used for thousands of years to create flexible objects that resist fire, such as fireproof fabrics, but are now known to be toxic and carcinogenic.
AI overview
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used for thousands of years to make fire-resistant products like fireproof fabrics because of its flexibility and heat resistance. However, it is now known to be toxic and causes cancer, which is why it matters for public health and safety.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Mineral.name
- Asbestos
- Mineral.image
- Asbestos with muscovite.png
- Mineral.caption
- Fibrous tremolite asbestos on muscovite
- Mineral.category
- Silicate minerals
- Mineral.strunz
- 09.ED.15
- Mineral.dana
- 71.01.02d.03
- Mineral.molweight
- 277.11 g
- Mineral.color
- Green, red, yellow, white, gray, blue
- Mineral.habit
- Amorphous, granular, massive
- Mineral.system
- Orthorhombic, monoclinic
- Mineral.cleavage
- Prismatic
- Mineral.fracture
- Fibrous
Article
43 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Early references and uses
- Industrial era
- Discovery of toxicity
- Use by industry and product type
- Serpentine group
- Amphibole group
- Amosite
- Crocidolite
- Tremolite, anthophyllite, actinolite
- Potential use in carbon sequestration
- Construction
- Developed countries
- Outside the European Union and North America
- September 11 attacks
- Asbestos contaminants in other products
- Vermiculite
- Talc
- Production
- Health impact
- Regulation
- Complete bans on asbestos
- Australia
- Canada
- Iran
- Japan
- New Zealand
- South Korea
- United Kingdom
- Countries where asbestos is legal
- United States
- China
- Mexico
- Vietnam
- Testing
- Substitutes for asbestos in construction
- Recycling and disposal
- Abbreviations associated with asbestos
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Asbestos or asbestus ( ) is a group of naturally occurring, fibrous silicate minerals, used for thousands of years to create flexible objects that resist fire, such as fireproof fabrics, but are now known to be toxic and carcinogenic.
There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre (particulate with length substantially greater than width) being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere by abrasion and other processes. Inhalation of asbestos fibres can lead to various dangerous lung conditions, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. As a result of these health effects, asbestos is considered a serious health and safety hazard.