Asbestos: Difference between revisions

[[Category: Tonnage & Waste Types]]

[[Asbestos]] is a group of six naturally occuring minerals made up of heat resistant fibres<ref name="asb">[https://www.asbestos.com/asbestos/]</ref>. Asbestos fibres do not dissolve in water or evaporate, they are resistant to heat, fire, chemical and biological degradation and are mechanically strong<ref name="gov">[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asbestos-properties-incident-management-and-toxicology/asbestos-general-information]</ref>.

==Introduction<ref name="asb" />==

Asbestos was widely used in construction as an effective insulator, and it can be added to [[Textiles|cloth]], [[paper]], [[Cement Kiln|cement]], [[plastic]] and other materials to make them stronger. Yet when [[asbestos]] dust is inhaled or ingested, the fibres can become permanently trapped in the body. Over decades, trapped [[asbestos]] fibres can cause inflammation, scarring and eventually genetic damage. Exposure to [[asbestos]] can cause cancer and other health conditions. A rare and aggressive cancer called mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos also causes a progressive lung disease called asbestosis.

[[File:Asbestos Skip at a HWRC.jpg|left|thumb|Asbestos Skip at HWRC]]

==References==

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