Asbestos

You will probably remember it as it was frequently used during the 19th century as a very important piece of construction material due to it being able to withstand fire, electricity, and chemical hazards - so much so, that you probably used to spend time in school conducting experiments in the asbestos proofed chemical lab. Asbestos is now known mainly due to its affects on the health of those who have come into contact with it.

Asbestos is a mineral compound that has been widely used. It is important to note that asbestos is not fire proof, it is just “slow to catch fire” which means that it is fire retardant; this specific quality, as well as the malleability of the mineral in the raw, made it interesting for the Greeks, then their Roman conquerors and all around the ancient world.

Considering that those were times where little to no laundry was done, the ability to clean the clothes and prevent diseases by exposing them to fire and allowing the dirt to be consumed while the garment was still intact was indeed a novelty, and accessible only to the rich and wealthy. Of course, as time passed by and civilization advanced, asbestos was able to maintain an important role in the development and advancement of civilization and its technologies, such as ship construction and home and building constructions.

That was not the only use for asbestos. As mentioned above, many of the garments used by firefighters are woven, garnished, or made out of asbestos. However, most of the more advanced countries are looking for substitutes or slowly changing to other forms of materials that are not only fire retardant but less toxic to humans and the environment. Yet, in underdeveloped countries, firefighters still rely on asbestos to be everyday heroes.

The over exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, which is a form of cancer where the lining of the lungs and heart develop tumors; this type of cancer can be fatal if mistreated or misdiagnosed, and prognosis is, in most cases, reserved to each particular case.