O asbestos it is a natural mineral fiber with wide commercial and industrial application, thanks to its physicochemical properties, which include great flexibility and high chemical, thermal and electrical resistance. It is also easy to explore, which brings great economic advantages, for having an affordable price and great abundance in nature. However, he is also quite harmful to human health and had its use banned in several countries.
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Types of asbestos
There are two varieties of asbestos: o chrysotile it's the amphibole. Chrysotile asbestos, also called white asbestos or asbestos, has a fibrous, flexible, fine and silky structure. This type of asbestos is the only one that has permission to be extracted, transported and transformed into other products.
already the amphibole asbestos it has a harder fiber, more difficult to be processed and is also more harmful to health, so its sale is prohibited.
What is asbestos for?
Asbestos is mainly present in construction industries, where it is used in the manufacture of tiles, water tanks, partitions, pipes, decorative vessels and other materials based on asbestos cement.
Due to its flexibility, strength, good quality as insulating and the fact that it is not combustible, it is also used in the manufacture of insulation and sealing materials, flame retardant accessories, laboratory equipment and materials, in addition to having application in the military, textile, aerospace industries, among others applications.
Pros and cons of using asbestos
asbestos is a quite versatile material and its extraction is cheap, so its products have low added value, which makes it easy to sell. However, it is a substance that it does not have safe levels of use. for causing cancer in those who are exposed to this substance, whether workers or the population in general, its use has been banned in Brazil and other several countries.
Although the industries that benefit from the sale of asbestos advocate that controlled use and with correct security measures, it can bring advantages to the commerce in general, health agencies, such as the World Health Organization, claim that there are no safe methods of manipulation product and that its risks outweigh the possible benefits.
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Diseases caused by asbestos
Asbestos has a high carcinogenic potential and exposure to this substance can lead to the occurrence of various diseases.
- asbestosis: caused by the deposition of asbestos fibers in the lung alveoli, which causes loss of respiratory capacity.
- Lung cancer: is associated with other types of illnesses, including asbestosis.
- mesothelioma: It is a rare form of cancer that can spread through the lymphatic pathways.
Ban on the use of asbestos
Despite all its applications and advantages, asbestos is an extremely harmful substance to human health. Since 2017, the extraction and use of asbestos were banned in Brazil through a declaration by the ministers of the Federal Supreme Court, who stated that the second article of the Law was unconstitutional. 9005/90, which defines the rules for the exploitation of asbestos in the country, allowing its use and commercialization in a controlled. Even though its use is prohibited in more than 60 countries, asbestos is still present in several houses in Brazil, in roof tiles, pipes and water tanks.
By Victor Ricardo Ferreira
Chemistry teacher