Open pit mine in Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada
One of the largest open pit mines in the world is the Ak-Dovurak asbestos mine in Russia
An asbestos mine in Swaziland, Africa
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name for a group of minerals that occur naturally in the ground. Bundles of fibers make up asbestos minerals. Three types of asbestos were commonly used to manufacture products.
Chrysotile, sometimes called white asbestos, is composed of wavy, flexible white fibers and comprises almost all of the asbestos used in the India.
Amosite, sometimes called brown asbestos, is composed of straight, light gray or brown fibers.
Crocidolite, sometimes called blue asbestos, is composed of straight blue fibers.
Anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite are three other types of asbestos. They were not commonly used to manufacture products. However, tremolite contamination has been documented in vermiculite attic insulation, and caution should be used when dealing with this material.
Where does asbestos come from?
Asbestos is mined out of the ground as an ore from open pit mines. The ore is then processed to extract the fibers from the ore.
Why was asbestos used?
Asbestos fibers have special characteristics. Heat or chemicals do not affect them and they do not conduct electricity. Asbestos is also very strong. Asbestos fibers are also very flexible, allowing them to be woven into cloth-like materials. This versatility is why industry has mined and widely used asbestos to make many different products.
Why should I be concerned about asbestos?
In general, the more asbestos a person is exposed to, the greater the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. Exposure to asbestos occurs through inhalation of airborne microscopic fibers. Airborne asbestos can be present during renovation and demolition of buildings and building products. Residential and nonresidential buildings can contain asbestos materials. Untrained individuals performing asbestos-related work can expose themselves, other individuals in the building, or their own families by having their clothing or skin contaminated with asbestos fibers.
Where can I learn more about asbestos in India?
Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) has a wide variety of information available to both workers and consumers on this web space .
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