Asbestos is the name of a group of highly
fibrous minerals with separable, long, and thin fibers. Separated
asbestos fibers are strong enough and flexible enough to be spun and
woven. Asbestos fibers are heat resistant, making them useful for
many industrial purposes.
Asbestos has been used commonly in a
variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a
fire-retardant. Because asbestos fibers are resistant to heat and
most chemicals, they have been mined for use in over 3,000 different
products, including roofing materials, brake pads, and cement pipe
often used in distributing water to communities. Today, asbestos is
most commonly found in older homes, in pipe and furnace insulation
materials, asbestos shingles, millboard, textured paints and other
coating materials, and floor tiles.
Elevated concentrations of airborne
asbestos can occur after asbestos-containing materials are disturbed
by cutting, sanding or other remodeling activities. Improper
attempts to remove these materials can release asbestos fibers into
the air in homes, increasing asbestos levels and endangering people
living in those homes.
There are six types of asbestos:
Chrysotile, Amosite, Anthophyllite, Crocidolite, Tremolite,
Actinolite. Asbestos can be positively identified only by a
trained analyst using a specialized microscope (shown below).
Chrysotile
Amosite
Anthophyllite
Crocidolite
Tremolite
