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Asbestos History
Throughout the history asbestos has been used quite frequently. Even as early as in the times of the Greeks the asbestos was used in various applications. Even though the Greeks were aware about the dangers of working with the asbestos, they continued its use as they were too overawed by the qualities that this mineral possessed. According to them the mineral of asbestos possessed some magical properties. In fact the name of the mineral was also given by the Greeks which mean "inextinguishable".
The Romans also used the asbestos quite extensively as has been cited by some of the literature. In the Middle Ages however the use of asbestos declined to some extent although there are some instances of asbestos being used in certain empires. It was only in the 1700s that the use of asbestos was revived and it became all the more popular during the industrial revolution in the late nineteenth century. During the industrial revolution this mineral was used in the manufacturing of insulation for steam pipes, boilers, ovens, kilns, turbines and other products with high temperature. The earlier readings of the ancient scholars regarding the harmful effects of asbestos on the human body were completely ignored.
In the earlier twentieth century it was observed in the industrialized world that people working with asbestos were dying in their young years. Many studies were conducted and finally in the late 1920s and early 1930s many laws were passed that asked for more stringent work conditions at the workplace involving asbestos. In the present times the use of asbestos is banned in many countries and many countries are regulating the use of asbestos.
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