Asbestos is a mineral that is very dangerous and is in many old houses. It is very important for everyone to make sure there home is asbestos free. If you live in an old home you should have your home checked for asbestos. If there is any of the six types of asbestos apparent they should be immediately removed. Sometimes before you have your house checked you can look for signs like disintegrated insulation, pipes, tiles, vinyl flooring, and stovetop pads that are an even clearer point to the direction of asbestos.

What is asbestos , it is a poisonous mineral that was used a lot in the 1930s through the 1950s. It was mined in Libby, Montana for these years. There was a very big demand for asbestos because it was a fire-proof material. This was ideal for things like insulation, paint, tile, etc, because it would not burn if the house had a fire. After years of the mining company in Montana being very successful, the owners of the mine realized that the asbestos was very harmful because many of the workers who worked with the asbestos were getting cancer. At this point, the owners did not shut down the company because they were still making a lot of money. They promised the workers that they would have tests done to see if the asbestos was the cause to all the harm.

But, when the test results came back positive, they did not tell the workers. During all of this time asbestos was being used all of the world. It seemed like a very ideal product at the time. Eventually, while workers for the asbestos company in Libby, Montana were still getting lung diseases, the government came in. The government ran tests on the asbestos and realized that it was poisonous. They did not fully shut down the business -although some argue that they should have- but they made it very difficult for them to keep going.

It was good that no more asbestos was being produced, but there was still the problem that asbestos had been distributed all over, and was still getting people sick. Anyone who had asbestos in there house had a very high risk of getting cancer or another lung disease. Still many houses have not been correctly and efficiently checked for asbestos. In some towns like Chicago, Illinois there is asbestos in houses and buildings, but the owners do not know it, so it is important that all buildings be checked.

Even though asbestos is not mined in the United States anymore it is still in other countries, who don’t know or have refused to accept the fact that asbestos is very harmful. Some people in the United States think that banning Asbestos was a mistake and that it is not harmful, but all of the harmful diseases tied to it are confidential. For example, the United States 45th president, Donald Trump, thinks that asbestos is not dangerous, but could be used. All these things tie back to that asbestos is a mineral that is questionable, and rather than be unsure about your safety, call to have your house checked.