Where is asbestos found?
Asbestos is a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment and can be mined. The extraction and use of asbestos dates back to Ancient Egypt. Typically, asbestos is found in these rock types: serpentines; some mafic rocks (which have higher amounts of heavier elements); altered ultramafic rock; metamorphosed dolostones; metamorphosed iron formations; alkalic intrusions and carbonatites. Varying amounts of asbestos can be found in these rocks. When rocks are broken or crushed, the asbestos can be extracted (1). The mining process that was used in the United States involved open pit extraction and then milling. In a period extending from the late 1960’s to the early 1970’s, asbestos mining peaked in the United States, with over 299 million pounds mined each year. By 1987, production has diminished to 112 million pounds annually. In 1989, when the Environmental Protection Agency ban on most asbestos use was passed, 13.2 million pounds were mined (2). Asbestos is found across t
