Government has known about the danger inherent in asbestos for more than 100 years but have callously ignored the danger in favour of expediency. Asbestos miners, manufacturing workers and workers in places having concentrations of asbestos such as ships and particularly war ships shaking it loose from steam pipe insulation through gun firings were all exposed to the possibility of asbestosis developing.
The following singer Alistair Hulett wrote two songs relating to asbestos. In the linked song it highlights that Central European migrants were brought specially to work the mines in Western Australia. Alistair died in 2010 after a life frequently used for drug 'experimentation'. His legacy of songs remains for all to enjoy.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I have specimens of blue Crocidolite (Blue Asbestos) and Chrysolite (Green Asbestos) which is fibrous Serpentine. These minerals are ok to have in mineral collections just so long as you don't handle them in such a way as to frey the fibers between the fingers for example. I have my asbestos specimens in plastic containers.
Skyfacer
Level 7
Feb 3, 2018
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Quite. The miners and mine camps were amongst dusty tailings. The manufactures pounded it to fine dust - I was once told that chemically talcum powder is either one atom or molecule removed from asbestos.
Yes. The mineral Talc has a very similar chemical composition to Serpentine. It's doesn't have a fibrous crystalline structure though so it's actually quite safe despite the stories. With the fibrous variety of Serpentine however , no matter how finely it's crushed into a powder, that powder is still in the form of fibers that are so fine they float in the air. It's the fibrous nature of these that are dangerous. Talc dust has the same problem as anything that is in the fine dust form. You can also breath it into your lungs. Fibrous Asbestos dust however 'sticks' to mucus in the lungs and can trigger mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
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