The Pathogenesis of Asbestos-Associated Diseases

ASBESTOS is one of our most useful minerals. Over 3000 manufactured products of contemporary importance contain it. Asbestos is employed in construction materials because it is resistant to thermal and corrosive destruction and increases the tensile strength of the product. These properties are also the basis for the use of the mineral in friction equipment and in a wide variety of consumer items requiring a relatively inexpensive insulation material that is light and subject to molding. Since the turn of the century, about 3X10⁷ tons of asbestos have been used in construction and in the fabrication of manufactured goods in . . .