A flyer circulated at work regarding asbestos used in the building's construction. I thought asbestos was harmful. Asbestos is natural, but that doesn't mean it can't be harmful.
Asbestos is a compound made up of calcium and magnesium silicate with long, flexible fibers.
Because it is fire resistant, asbestos was widely used for insulating and fireproofing buildings quite regularly over the last 70 years. In the 1970s the federal government put a moratorium on production of most asbestos products, but according to the U.S. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, installation of asbestos products probably continued through the late 1970s and even into the early 1980s. Asbestos also has been linked to mesothelioma, a bad cancer that affects the membranes lining the lungs and abdomen, as well as to more common forms of lung cancer and cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum. The risks of asbestos exposure and inhalation are greatest among construction workers. Exposure is heaviest when workers are removing asbestos from buildings during renovation or demolition.