Asbestos facts for kids

The roof of this building is made of asbestos

A piece of Asbestos

Fibers of Anthophyllite are what makes asbestos dangerous. This image was taken with an electron microscope

Asbestos is a set of six silicate minerals which occur naturally. White asbestos makes up 95% of the asbestos found in buildings. It occurs in all parts of the world. It is fibrous, heat resistant and non flammable. These properties made it very attractive as a component in building materials and other products such as insulation and automobile brake pads. People have used asbestos throughout history. Ancient Egyptian people used asbestos. Asbestos is extremely dangerous for human health, as it can cause lung diseases such as asbestosis, emphysema and mesothelioma if the fibres get loose in the air. It can also harm animals such as livestock or pets.

Asbestos was linked to lung cancer in the early 1970s, and was replaced by other materials in most applications by 1980.

Types of asbestos

There are six types of asbestos:

Substitutes

Fiberglass - This is the most popular substitute. Fiberglass is physically similar to asbestos and its safety is also being questioned. Fiberglass has been called "man-made asbestos".
Carbon fiber - Lighter weight than fiberglass or asbestos, but not heat resistant
Wood fiber mixed with cement (in non-heat applications)
Various polymer and plastic fibers
Asbestos rope can be replaced with synthetic or fiberglass rope.
Vermiculite insulation is a common substitute, although vermiculite itself can be contaminated with asbestos
Basalt fiber is a mineral fiber with properties similar to asbestos. It is suitable for high-heat applications.
Mineral wool is a common substitute that is popular in Europe
Silica aerogel is the best insulator available. It is non-fibrous and is not believed to cause cancer if inhaled into the lungs.

Images for kids

Size of asbestos fibers compared to other particles (USEPA, March 1978)
Industrial scale asbestos mining began in 1878 in Thetford township, Quebec. By 1895, mining was increasingly mechanized.
Canada's biggest power shovel loading an ore train with asbestos at the Jeffrey Mine, Johns-Manville Co., Asbestos, Quebec, June 1944.
The applications of asbestos multiplied at the end of the 19th century. This is an advertisement for an asbestos-lined clothes iron from 1906.
Asbestos fabric
An asbestos glove
A household heat spreader for cooking on gas stoves, made of asbestos (probably 1950s; "Amiante pur" is French for "Pure Asbestos")
Older decorative ceilings, similar to this one, may contain small amounts of white asbestos.
1929 newspaper advertisement from Perth, Western Australia, for asbestos sheeting for residential building construction.
A laboratory heat spreader made of asbestos, on tripod over a Teclu burner.
Asbestos warning label.
Old Wailuku Post Office sealed off for asbestos removal
Chrysotile asbestos
Asbestos fibers
Asbestos
Blue asbestos (crocidolite). The ruler is 1 cm.
Blue asbestos, teased to show the fibrous nature of the mineral