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  • Ahmad Shendi

The History of Asbestos

Updated: Apr 15




The resilient properties of asbestos has made it a useful tool for centuries. It was used during the time of the ancient Greeks who took advantage of the durability and strength of asbestos fibres by spinning the fibres into cloth in order to use it as blankets and tablecloth.


Furthermore, due to the resistant fire properties of asbestos, it was recorded to also have been used by the ancient Romans within the wicks of ceremonial candles. Although the benefits of asbestos have been known for centuries, it was not until the late 19th century when large deposits of the mineral was discovered in the US and Canada which kicked off the trade of asbestos as a common product within building construction materials.


Due to the inexpensive production and mass abundance of asbestos-containing materials, it was utilized heavily within the construction industry. As the industry developed, it was discovered that asbestos was a great product for acoustical plaster, decorative material, and an excellent fire retardant. The use of asbestos was not, however, limited to the construction industry.


It was also seen to be utilized within the food production industry and within the uniforms of fire fighters. Asbestos was also used by the automotive industry in things such as gaskets, brake pads, and clutches. In some countries it was also utilized in products ranging from kitty litter to thermal insulation material.


Scientific studies only began to discover the adverse impact of asbestos containing materials (ACMs) in the early 1970s. This caused the use of asbestos to slow down which in-turn led to companies developing substitute materials to the ACMs and slowly began to remove asbestos from the market.


Regulations then followed in many countries with NZ passing its asbestos regulations in 2016 (See: Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016), which dealt with the removal and management of asbestos containing materials. This led to the abandonment of the massive asbestos mining efforts with the exception of few countries which still mine for it today.


Asbestos in the Natural Mineral Form
Asbestos in its Natural Form



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