Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. The most distinguishable attributes of this mineral are its long, hair like filaments and its ability to withstand high temperatures. There are many kinds of asbestos. It comes in several colours including white, brown, and blue. It can also look like a common mineral or have fibrous tendons. Asbestos has long been used as a flame retardant and an insulating material. Other uses for asbestos include fire proofing, stage curtains, joint compound, clutch plates, thermal pipe insulation, and roofing tars.

Unfortunately, asbestos is known to cause many health problems. Less serious health concerns include asbestos warts, pleural plaques, and diffuse pleural thickening. Mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis are all commonly associated serious illnesses with prolonged exposure to asbestos particles. Asbestos use has been prohibited in most parts of the world since the mid 1980's. The Environmental Protection Agency put a ban on asbestos usage and prohibited prolonged exposure to asbestos for workers in 1989. Since then, the number of illnesses related to asbestos exposure and the number of asbestos compensation claims has gone down significantly.

Mesothelioma is a serious and deadly disease which has affected many people who have dealt with asbestos. This is a form of cancer which invades the lungs and the organs surrounding the lungs. A thick wall of malignant cells covers the pleura (the lining of the lungs) and may spread to other organs in the body. Symptoms of this disease include shortness of breath, pain in the chest or chest cavity, and general illness symptoms such as weight loss, fatigue, and muscle pain. A diagnosis may be made after conducting a tissue biopsy, a CT scan, or and X-ray scan of the chest. The prognosis for those with Mesothelioma is not good. A combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery is needed in order to have a 75% chance of extending the affected individual's life for five years or more. Surgery alone will only give an individual a 16% chance of living longer than 5 years after diagnosis.

So, depending on the individual's course of action, the illness has a drastic range of survival rates. It is clear that the use of asbestos is extremely threatening to all who are exposed to it. Fibre Glass insulation has replaced asbestos as an insulator and flame retardant. However, some scientists are calling the safety of fibre glass into question also. Evidence suggests that fibre glass also produces a toxic substance when it breaks down or decomposes. Further investigation is needed to draw concrete conclusions.