History of Asbestos - Continued Use In The Twentieth Century - The First Uses Of Asbestos

History of Asbestos

Being seen as a miracle mineral because of its ability to withstand heat, fire and handling asbestos was once a valuable mineral. This mineral was extracted first by the ancient Greeks, still today continues calling this material as a derivative of the Roman name meaning "inextinguishable" or "unchanged" But today is best known for his harmful nature and his menacing reputation for causing mesothelioma and other deadly diseases.

The first uses of asbestos

For centuries, asbestos has been used in the construction of buildings, clothing and even to bury deceased. The first uses of asbestos is known as a strong component for cookware for the inhabitants of Scandinavia 4,500 years ago. It is also believed that the deceased royal caste were coated shrouds made from asbestos and burned in funeral pyres. Since clothing was intact, the ashes of the body could be easily collected.

The tablecloths and clothes made of asbestos could be cleaned throwing them into the fire, as witnessed in China in the 13th Century Italian explorer Marco Polo and visitors to a house of renowned Persian. For all the miraculous properties have been discussed above, the early Romans noticed that those who extracted the material and those working with him, beginning to get sick and die prematurely. Among the first documents to prove as people suffering from symptoms related to lung problems arising from the use of asbestos, the manuscript of a Roman naturalist Pliny called the former can be found.

Asbestos use in modern times

Despite the knowledge that has always been of the dangers of asbestos use, the popularity of this material has remained over the centuries. When the industrial revolution began, the uses of asbestos were extended further to start the time of production. The role of this mineral was expanding upon joining materials for boats, refineries and to isolate the engine rooms and boiler rooms on trains. Again no problems with asbestos ceased.Thousands of workers in boats and in the construction industry were exposed unknowingly paying a high price for their lives.

Continued use in the twentieth century

The demand for this material remained popular during the twentieth century, with peaks of regular use during the Second World War and the 60s. In fact in 1939 the USA World War tribute included in the material by the Johns-Manville Company. The use of this material included a giant statue known as the "man of asbestos" that accompanied the visitors on a flag of the company to a full explanation of the benefits of asbestos. The popularity of asbestos continued for the next twenty years as could be found everywhere: in homes, schools, factories and office buildings. Asbestos was used in the manufacture of cement, tiles, adhesives, tiles, plasterboard, dressings and cars. Even some cigarettes had filters asbestos.

It had long suspected that asbestos had people sick, although early investigations were merely anecdotal and did not prove a definitive link between exposure to asbestos and the development of a disease. However, in USA, in the early 1900s doctors began to register workers with lung diseases that had been exposed to asbestos. Autopsies confirmed what we already knew: that asbestos was the cause lay behind chronic bronchitis and pulmonary fibrosis issues it had been a witness to both. Finally, problems with the lung associated with asbestos exposure became known as asbestosis and mesothelioma.