Mesothelioma Lawyers, New York
Asbestos
Asbestos has a lot of confusion surrounding it. You've heard that it has something to do with mesothelioma, but what exactly is it? Well, if you want to know everything you need to know about asbestos, you can rest assured that you've come to the right place.
What they call asbestos is actually a set of six minerals. These minerals are silicate, naturally occurring, and despite the trouble they can cause, they do have some incredibly desirable physical properties. The main characteristic that asbestos is known for, and which all six minerals share, is its long, thin, fibrous crystals, which are actually quite beautiful.
Well then, you may be confused now. If asbestos has such wonderful properties, and is even a beautiful silicate mineral, why does it get such a bad rap? That's a very fair question, and one we will address presently. The problem is that the fibers can be inhaled, but then they're too big to exhale. And when you get the asbestos fibers inside you, they can wreak all kinds of havoc. Some of the common and serious illnesses caused by asbestos exposure are lung cancer, asbestosis, and of course, mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is obviously no fun, and the other possible side effects of asbestos exposure aren't any better. Why then, do we continue to use asbestos in construction? Well, it depends on what you mean by we. Because in the European Union, they don't use it. Since 2005, all utilization, extraction, manufacture, and processing of asbestos products has been banned in the European Union.
But in the United States (including New York of course), asbestos is still popular. It started taking off in the late 1800s because it was incredibly resistant to heat, electrical, and chemical damage, as well as having great sound absorption and tensile strength. When you need something to be fire or heat resistant, it's easy to mix asbestos fibers with cement or weave them into fabric. Asbestos was also used in electric oven and hotplate wiring because it offers electrical insulation at high temperatures. And it's used in buildings because it's flame retardant, a good insulator, strong, flexible, and resistant to chemicals.
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