How Man Used Asbestos from Ancient Times to the End of the 20thCentury

Overview

The authors present a brief account of the use of asbestos from ancient times to the end of thenineties of the 20th century incl. legal regulations which in the Czech Republic severely restrictthe use of products containing asbestos and prohibit completely the import of all asbestos fromthe group of amphiboles. Non-inflammable fabrics from asbestos were used already in ancientChina and ancient Rome, ancient inhabitants of Finland prepared vessels from ceramic clayand asbestos. There are data on the use of asbestos wicks in the „ever-burning fire of the vestals“and legends describe the use of marvellous non-inflammable fabrics in the middle ages. The19th and the first two thirds of the 20th century are marked by a great expansion of the miningand use of asbestos in industry and the building industry. Only findings of the deleterious effecton health of man led at the end of the second millennium to a worldwide restriction of miningand use of all types of asbestos.

Key words:
asbestos - history - disease caused by asbestos.