Asbestos: Who makes this stuff, anyway?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber. It's a rock.

There are essentially 6 types, only 3 of which were used commercially. These are:

* Chrysotile or White Asbestos. The most common type in the U.S. , mined in Canada and previously mined in California. It is a serpentine structure, both wavy and hollow.

*Amosite or Red-Brown Asbestos. The name is derived from Asbestos Mines Of South Africa, it's place of origin. It is an amphibole structure, long straight solid rods.

*Crocidolite or Blue Asbestos. Only about 2% to 3% of the asbestos we encounter in this country is of the Crocidolite type. It is an amphibole structure very similar to Amosite, except for color. This mineral is mined in Australia.

 

Amphibole type of asbestos, such as Crocidolite.

Here seen under a microscope.

The other three, which may be included in regulatory standards, are listed as tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, and actinolite asbestos All are fire resistant with high tensile strength and not easily destroyed or degraded by natural means. All are carcinogenic; that is, all have been shown to cause cancer of the lung and stomach, based on studies of workers. However, in order to be a health risk, asbestos fibers must be released from the material and be present in the air for people to breathe.