Asbestos Concern in Canada
Asbestos is a natural occurring mineral with unusual qualities of high temperature resistance, chemical attack resistance, and wear resistance. Since it is a poor conductor, asbestos is a good insulation against heat and electricity. Under an asbestos microscope, crystals of such minerals have the appearance of long, flexible, silky fibers. As such, an asbestos yarn may be spun, woven into cloth, braided into rope, or materials like cotton and cement. Asbestos is mined by a lot of countries. The leading miners for asbestos are Russia, China, and Kazakhstan.
The use of asbestos can be traced as far back into 4,500 years ago. The ancient Greeks used asbestos in making oil lamp wicks, funeral shrouds and ceremonial tablecloths. In the Industrial Revolution of the 1800s, asbestos was utilized for insulation of hot engines, boilers and power piping. Until the 1980s, asbestos was used as building materials for offices, public buildings and schools. Since it is a good insulator, such was employed in hot water heating systems, was put into walls and ceilings, and was used in transportation and electrical appliances.
As much as asbestos is very useful, large exposure to its fibers, which are only visible under an asbestos microscope, can be harmful. As such, there has been a dramatic decline in the employment of such materials in industries since the early 1980s. Alternative products have been developed and those industries that utilize asbestos are regulated by the Hazardous Products Act in Canada. This has led to the improvement of asbestos product design and manufacture, zoning in on the better encapsulation and sealing in order to prevent the escape of these minute fibers.
Asbestos fibers become health hazards when such are released in the air causing people to inhale it. Such airborne fibers may attach themselves on lung tissues, causing asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma. However, the key factor to this disease is the amount of asbestos fibers that were inhaled. With the aid of an asbestos microscope, an air sample of a particular asbestos contaminated area can be viewed and the number of asbestos fibers may be counted.
Health concerns for asbestos workers started in the late 1800s. However, the risk became only evident in the late 1960s since the ill effects of asbestos inhalation may only materialize from twenty to fifty years after breathing the fibers into the system. This led to the strict regulation of asbestos related work by the Canadian government.
Although there are fewer products in the home that contain asbestos, concerns are still raised since frequent or prolonged exposure to such may still bring health risks. This can happen when there is a disturbance of: loose asbestos insulation; asbestos containing roofing shingles and siding; asbestos floor tiles; asbestos containing acoustical ceilings; and any other asbestos containing materials used on walls, floors, or pipes. Thus, it is strongly recommended to have an experienced contractor who should work on asbestos containing materials. Such contractor has the expertise in removing and isolating the asbestos material to prevent inhalation of such minute fibers.
