Asbestos is a cheap and effective insulation, but some types can cause serious health problems. The controversy over its use arose in the 1970s when people fell ill with respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Studies found that only friable asbestos of certain varieties caused cancer, and eliminating it would eliminate nearly all related conditions. The manufacturers denied that it was so dangerous that it required it to be phased out and eliminated from construction. A consensus in the controversy in America was reached by instituting stringent maintenance programs for asbestos-insulated buildings instead of demolition.
The asbestos controversy arose because some types of asbestos have been shown to cause serious health problems, such as cancer, but it’s a cheap and effective insulation already installed in countless buildings. Studies of the health threats posed by sprayed versus preformed asbestos in recent decades have been mixed. Some people conclude that this product should be banned, while others insist it can be installed and maintained with minimal risk. People still have misconceptions after the much-publicized controversy, but much of their concern is justified.
In the 1970s, asbestos became the primary insulation worldwide because it was flame retardant and insulated from both temperature and sound. It was to be a decade before the harm of those who dug and installed it became apparent as people fell ill with respiratory diseases, such as asbestosis, and started dying of a lung cancer called mesothelioma. Soon, widespread health studies spurred by lawsuits narrowed down the cause of death and found that only friable, or spray, asbestos of certain varieties was causing cancer. In the early 1990s, the Health Effects Institute and the Environmental Protection Agency published reports that fibers from this material must be dispersed through the air before entering the respiratory system. Thus, eliminating friable asbestos would eliminate nearly all related conditions.
The manufacturers denied that the disputed use of asbestos was so dangerous that it required it to be phased out and eliminated from construction. They started using chrysotile asbestos to form insulation tiles in a factory and be transported to construction sites. With this change, the worst cancer risk was reduced to the possibility of affecting miners and factory workers, but it was not dangerous to the general population occupying commercial or residential buildings. Eventually plans were made to phase out other similar products in the 1990s, supported by less solid scientific evidence, to ease people’s mistrust.
With regard to friable and chrysotile asbestos already installed, controversy arose as to whether insulation in old buildings could disintegrate and re-release dangerous dust which could be inhaled and cause cancer. Again, some people believed that it was more destructive to disturb the tile by demolishing buildings, as this breaks down the fibers. Others, including many European experts, wanted to eliminate all cases of friable asbestos through costly demolition. A consensus in the controversy in America was reached by instituting stringent maintenance programs for asbestos-insulated buildings, instead of demolition. Experts have also considered the danger of lives lost due to the use of less effective insulation, which has been estimated as more lives than are threatened by asbestos.
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