Asbestos is a group of 6 naturally occurring minerals, which are valued for their durability and fire resistance properties (https://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/what-is-asbestos.htm). Even though asbestos has been deemed a known carcinogen, you might be surprised to know that the use of asbestos is still legal (though some of its uses have been banned) and it’s used in some products that you might encounter on a daily basis including car parts and roofing materials (https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/us-federal-bans-asbestos). The following article details some of the other common uses for asbestos that are still legal http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/hr/print/volume-32/issue-6/articles/asbestos-in-hydro-powerhouses-challenges-and-solutions.html.
Interestingly, asbestos has ended up in products that most of us couldn’t imagine including products made for children. Studies have shown that some crayons contain asbestos. It’s not because asbestos is intentionally added to crayons, but because talc, one of the ingredients used to make crayons, can contain asbestos. U.S. manufacturers have removed talc from their crayons, but unfortunately other countries still use talc as an ingredient in their crayons (http://www.naturalnews.com/050720_asbestos_crayons_mesothelioma.html). Talc, much like asbestos, is a mineral that must be mined and has many everyday uses. The reason talc can contain asbestos is because it’s often found near asbestos deposits which means that during the mining process talc can become contaminated by asbestos and end up in all kinds of products (https://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-exposure/products/talc-powder/). Fortunately, many talc mines now test their product for asbestos and household products containing talc have been free from asbestos in the U.S. for over 40 years (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/talcum-powder-and-cancer.html). If you are interested in learning more about asbestos and how its used, check out the links in this article!
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