subject: Asbestos Definition [print this page] The Greeks discovered asbestos in the first century AD and named it asbestos. The exact asbestos definition then of asbestos is Greek for inextinguishable. They thought it was a miracle mineral for all its benefits such as its capacity to resist heat but actually everyone thought it was a miracle mineral right up until the 1990s when its cancerous properties became a lot more widely discussed and known.
To assist you with the asbestos definition, asbestos is made up from a group of minerals and these minerals have long thin fibrous crystals about 200 times thinner than a human hair. So it will not be possible for you to see these fibres with the naked eye and you can imagine that in an environment containing asbestos that its highly possible for these fibres to get airborne and be easily inhaled by a Human. Once inhaled the fibres will go straight to the bottom of the lungs, unbeknown by the person and create a disease by fighting with the persons immune system and then causing the fatal Asbestosis or Mesothelioma, over time.
However, this doesnt mean that going into an asbestos environment guarantees you of contracting this fatal cancer, only environments where the asbestos products have started to break down.
Asbestos became hugely popular in the late 1800s particularly for domestic products where it was either mixed with plaster or cement, where it was liked for its resistance to heat and electrical damage and also the fibres made the products when mixed very strong. It was also used mixed with matting for insulation around pipes and also heat insulation in attics and basements.
So, the asbestos definition in Greek of inextinguishable is correct, asbestos could resist all manners of flames and heat but now governments around the world wish they had never discovered it as it still lies in most schools and older factories and houses throughout the western world.
If you think you may have it in your home, especially if your home is an early 20th century home and you want to renovate it, best to get professionals in to get rid of it for you. Sure it may be costly but at least you can safeguard your health for the sake of a few thousand dollars.
