What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral that is as soft and flexible as cotton or flax, yet it is fireproof. Asbestos is not an invention of modern science. The ancient Greeks named the mineral asbestos, meaning inextinguishable. Its harmful biological effects were also observed by the Greeks. The Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder both reported a sickness of the lungs in the slaves who wove asbestos into cloth. Unfortunately for the millions of individuals who have contracted asbestos-related diseases, such as asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, or lost lives as a result of those diseases, the mysterious properties of this magical mineral have always overshadowed the health effects.

Asbestos was originally used in wicks for the eternal flames of the vestal virgins, cloth for the funeral dress used at the cremation of kings, and in napkins and tablecloths. It is said that the Romans cleaned asbestos napkins by throwing them into a fire, hence the Romans named asbestos, amiantus, which translates, unpolluted.

Asbestos use declined in the Middle Ages, but it was rumored that Charlemagne had asbestos tablecloths. Articles made from asbestos cloth were displayed to Marco Polo in the course of his travels.

Asbestos use reappeared in historical writings in the 1700's, and its use intensified with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. In industrial settings, asbestos-containing products were used for insulation for boilers, steam pipes, turbines, ovens, kilns, and other high-temperature equipment.

Despite the early association between asbestos and disease, its use increased over time and more and more ways to use the indestructible fiber were discovered.

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