Asbestos is the name given to a group of fibrous materials, chiefly composed of silicates, that occur naturally in many parts of the world. Six types of asbestos are commercially produced, with the three main types being:

Chrysotile (white asbestos)

Amosite (brown asbestos)

Crocidolite (blue asbestos)

Where does asbestos come from? Asbestos is mined out of the ground as an ore from open pit mines. The ore is then processed to extract the fibers from the ore. The leading producers of asbestos in the world are Russia, Canada, China, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe.

Open pit mine in Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada

Why was asbestos used?

Asbestos fibers have special characteristics. Heat or chemicals do not affect them and they do not conduct electricity. Asbestos is also very strong. Pound for pound, asbestos is stronger than steel. Asbestos fibers are also very flexible, allowing them to be woven into cloth-like materials. This versatility is why industry has mined and widely used asbestos to make many different products.

Where is Asbestos Found?

Asbestos fibres derived from natural and man-made sources are found throughout the environment; in fact asbestos was used widely in building materials, insulation and household products between the 1900s and the mid-1970s.

It is important to know where and in what products asbestos is most likely to be found. Asbestos is most likely to be present in buildings constructed or refurbished between 1950 and 1980, particularly if it has a steel frame, boiler/vessels and pipework with thermal insulation and/or suspended ceilings. See the HSE web site for more examples.

What are the Health Problems Associated with Asbestos?

Asbestos is dangerous because it splits into very fine dust particles, which can be inhaled. These particles can lodge in the deeper parts of the lungs and because they do not dissolve readily - they may persist for years. This can result in diseases for which there is no cure including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma (a cancer of the chest or abdominal lining). The risk of people developing asbestos-related diseases depends on a number of factors including cumulative dose received, the time since their first exposure, and the type and size of asbestos fibre concerned.