Context: Recently Brazil sinks age old aircraft carrier carrying asbestos, other toxins.
About Asbestos:
It is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral.
Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring minerals made up of heat-resistant fibers.
It consists of flexible fibers resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion.
Asbestos is an excellent electrical insulator and is highly fire-resistant, so for much of the 20th century it was very commonly used across the world as a building material.
Construction materials contained asbestos because it is an effective insulator.
Asbestos in cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other materials makes them stronger.
Asbestos mainly comes from Russia, Kazakhstan and China.
The toxic mineral was once mined throughout North America.
Asbestos has been used on ships as both a fire retardant and an insulator to protect sailors from the constant and jarring vibrations of ships’ engines.
Health Effects
It is known to be a highly toxic material and a carcinogen.
Inhaled or swallowed asbestos fibers can become trapped in the respiratory or digestive systems of the body, accumulating over time.
Repeated exposure can cause inflammation and damage the DNA.
The following illnesses have been associated with asbestos exposure: lung cancer, COPD, mesothelioma and asbestosis.
