Posted: 04/04/2026
A history of asbestos
Reading Time: 2 minutes
- Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals called:
- Chrysotile — this is the most common type of asbestos, also known as white asbestos.
- Amosite — also known as brown asbestos, this is one of the most hazardous types of asbestos, with needle-like fibres that are easily inhaled.
- Crocidolite — also known as blue asbestos.
- Tremolite —- this mineral can be white, grey, green or transparent and has extremely fine fibres.
- Actinolite — this type of asbestos was not as widely used.
- Anthophyllite — this mineral also was not used as much as other types of asbestos
- Asbestos is not natural to the UK; it has been found in various locations around the world, including Italy, South Africa, Russia, America, Canada and China.
- The mining of asbestos first began over 4,000 years ago but the presence of asbestos has been found even in stone age excavations.
- ‘Asbestos’ is a Greek word, meaning unquenchable or inextinguishable.
- It was heavily used by Ancient Greeks and Romans due to its fire-resistant qualities, using it in products such as candle wicks, table cloths, napkins and shrouds.
- Asbestos was also used by Ancient Egyptians, who embalmed their pharaohs in asbestos soaked cloths.
- It is documented by both the Romans and Greeks that slaves who were forced to work in asbestos mines suffered illnesses that they called the ‘disease of slaves’ and ‘sickness of the lungs’.
- The more modern history of asbestos use can be traced back to the discovery of asbestos in Canada and South Africa. This occurred in the 1800s.
- In 1880, the first asbestos textile factory opened near Paris and within months the second opened in London with new asbestos factories emerging where spinning industries thrived in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
- The health hazards of exposure to asbestos were first documented in the 19th century and it was first suggested that asbestos could cause lung cancer in the 1930s. Case reports of mesothelioma began accumulating in the 1950s.
- In spite of this, it was used extensively used in industry in England throughout the 20th century and it was not until 1999 that the Government decided to ban the use and import of asbestos. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 prohibits the use, supply and importation of all asbestos. These Regulations were updated by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
- With the closures of mines in many countries due to dangers of asbestos, Russia has now become the major producer of asbestos along with mining activities in Kazakhstan and China.
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