Asbestos
Blue asbestos is possibly 100 times more hazardous than white asbestos, as the fibres are much smaller (around 2.5 to 10 micrometres). The inhalation of asbestos results in illness and in most cases death, due to asbestosis, mesothelioma (of which asbestos is the only known cause) and other lung diseases. This aetiology was described, reported and explained to the management of ABA as well as being the subject of many medical journal articles.
The asbestos fibre count at the mine and other facilities was regularly measured at 1000 parts per cm3 or more. This is in stark contrast to the health department guidelines of the 1950s that required less than 176 parts per cm3. By 1967 the 'safe' level of asbestos was limited to 5 parts per cm3.
Read more about this topic: Australian Blue Asbestos
Famous quotes containing the word asbestos:
“Despite my asbestos gloves,
the cough is filling me with black,
and a red powder seeps through my veins....”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)