Knowra Asbestos Asbestos Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals. Its heat resistance and durability drove extensive use in construction and industry, despite severe health risks from inhaled fibers.
Asbestos fiber : A slender mineral fragment with a high length-to-width ratio, capable of becoming airborne and lodging in tissue. Its shape and airborne persistence make fiber dimensions central to asbestos exposure and injury.
Chrysotile : A serpentine mineral with flexible, curled fibers and the most widely used form of asbestos. It accounts for most historical asbestos use and has a different crystal structure from amphiboles.
Asbestos cement : A composite material made by reinforcing cement with asbestos fibers. It was widely used in roofing, pipes, and panels because fibers strengthened the cement.
Occupational exposure : Contact with a hazardous substance or condition arising from work. Mining, manufacturing, construction, and shipyard jobs produced many intense asbestos exposures.
Asbestosis : A chronic lung disease in which inhaled asbestos fibers cause scarring of lung tissue. It is the characteristic fibrotic lung disease caused by sustained asbestos exposure.
Amosite : An iron-rich amphibole mineral historically used as a form of asbestos. Its relatively straight, durable fibers appeared in insulation and building products.
Thermal insulation : Material that reduces heat transfer between spaces or surfaces. Asbestos was prized for insulating pipes, boilers, and buildings against heat.
Environmental exposure : Contact with a hazard through air, water, soil, or surroundings outside a workplace. Asbestos can reach communities through naturally occurring deposits or disturbed contaminated materials.
Mesothelioma : A cancer of the mesothelium, the tissue lining body cavities, most often affecting the pleura. Asbestos exposure is the leading established cause of this rare cancer.
Crocidolite : A blue amphibole mineral whose thin fibers were used in some industrial materials. Its fine, durable fibers are associated with particularly high health risks.
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