What is Asbestos?
"Asbestos" is a generic name given to a fibrous variety of six naturally occurring minerals that have been used for decades in the development of thousands of commercial products. The term "asbestos" is not a mineralogical definition but a commercial name given to a group of minerals that possess high tensile strength, flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and electrical resistance. These minerals have been used in many products, including insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes and textile products, and cement and wallboard materials.
The asbestos minerals have a tendency to separate into microscopic-size particles that can remain in the air and are easily inhaled. Persons occupationally exposed to asbestos have developed several types of life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer. Although the use of asbestos and asbestos products has dramatically decreased, they are still found in many residential and commercial settings and continue to pose a health risk to workers and others.
From the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/asbestos/
Related Links
Mesothelioma In Montana - September 2005
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/index.html
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/index.html
CDC - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/asbestos/
US Department of Labor - Occupational Health and Safety Administration
http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/asbestos/index.html
National Safety Council fact sheet
http://www.nsc.org/library/facts/asbestos.htm
American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org/air/air00_aesbestos.html
Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Asbestos Control Program
http://www.deq.state.mt.us/pcd/awm/acp/index.asp
Asbestos in Libby, Montana
Montana Asbestos Screening and Surveillance Activity
Asbestos and Libby Health
http://www2.umt.edu/Libbyhealth/
Montana Department of Environmental Quality - Libby Asbestos Issues
http://www.deq.state.mt.us/libby/index.asp
Fall from Grace: The Libby Asbestos Tragedy - A Missoulian Special Report (1999)
http://www.missoulian.com/specials/fallfromgrace/
Tough Times, Touch Choices in Libby - A Missoulian Special Report (2001)
http://www.missoulian.com/specials/libby/
