A History of Asbestos – Asbestos Removal Melbourne
Asbestos is a natural material that occurs in every country in the world. Asbestos debris even can be found back to the stone age, approximately 750,000 years ago. Historians generally agree that asbestos already is used when at 4000 B.C for wicks in candles. Many people may do not know, 4000 years ago, the body of Egyptian pharaohs are wrapped in an asbestos cloth to become the mummy.
Some archaeologists believe that Asbestos can be traced back to a Latin idiom, Amiantus, which means unpolluted. It said ancient Romans used asbestos to make cloth-like material because it was hard to get dirty.
When did People Find it is Harmful
It may supersize many of yours that people find asbestos is harmful a long time ago. There are documents records that people who mined the silken material from ancient stone quarries usually have “sickness of the lungs”, especially people who wove the material into cloth.
A historian from ancient time named Pliny the Elder documented that there is a “disease of slaves” and described how people used a thin membrane from the bladder of a goat to prevent the harmful asbestos fibres get into their breath.
When Did it Become Commercialized
In the late 1800s, Asbestos suddenly became a flourishing industry. With the development of the industrial revolution, the manufacturing of asbestos became effective than ever. From that time, asbestos became widespread because of its economic benefits.
As demand increased and production expanded, more and more workers were exposed to asbestos mining and the manufacture of asbestos products.
The toughness of asbestos and its ability to resist fire, water, and electricity made asbestos tile widely used in the construction of hundreds of thousands of houses and factories. This also laid a great risk for the future.
In the meantime, in the early of the 19th, more and more asbestos mines like crocidolite and chrysotile were found all over the world due to globalization, Canadians, Russians, British and Australia joined this industry one by one. At that time, asbestos tile products were widely used in large quantities around the world.
The Hazard Effects of Asbestos
In the eighteenth century, numerous physicians reported finding asbestos in the lungs of patients who had died of lung disease. In 1898, a report regarding the asbestos manufacturing factory in England recorded that people who live around the factory had a high risk of injury to the lungs.
In the year of 1908, insurance services in England and Canada started increasing the charging for workers employed in the asbestos industry.
Asbestos in Modern Demand
Until now, asbestos still can be found in a lot of modern products. Here is a list:
- Asbestos cement
- Asbestos insulation for electric wiring
- Asbestos roofing tile and flooring compound
- Thermal insulation for homes and offices
- Automotive and airplane clutches
- Asbestos millboard and paper for electrical panels
- Heat and acid-resistant gaskets and packing materials
- Fillers and reinforcement for plasters, caulking compounds, and paints
- Spray-on, fire-retardant coating for steel girders in buildings
- Car, truck and airplane brake pads and linings, seals, and gaskets
How to Avoid Asbestos Damage to Health
There are several ways to avoid asbestos exposure. Avoid using products that contain asbestos(even though you cannot buy any in Australia, does not mean you do not have it, it may contain in the products from other countries or from the old time); Contact a professional asbestos removal services Melbourne to deal with it if you find anything Suspicious, we will provide you with an Asbestos Inspection.
You are most welcome to contact Asbestos Removal Melbourne to get a professional advice and solutions, call us today.