What Is Asbestos And How Can It Hurt Me?

Asbestos is a Greek word that is given to mean a group of fibrous minerals that are derived from metamophic rocks. Asbestos was used in the United States more often in the past; however, today they still use asbestos in somethings, but it is not used as often because of the dangers that it poses to the human body. Asbestos is found in older buildings (built before 1980), in some automotive breaking systems and in many common household appliances. Asbestos fibers fly around in the air and are small enought that humans breathe them into their lungs. If one has extensive exposure to asbestos, such as in factory, automotive, or construction jobs, they are probably being exposed to asbestos to some degree. If the asbestos fibers are inhaled over a long period of time, the person has a high risk of developing mesothelioma, a cancer that is caused exclusively by prolonged inhalation of the asbestos fibers.   Asbestos is most risky when it is disturbed, which is why care has to be taken when removing walls etc which may contain asbestos.
There are also other illnesses related to asbestosis, but mesothelioma is the most deadly of all the asbestos related illnesses.