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Asbestos Yarn - Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure Risks

One of the properties that made asbestos such a popular substance is its versatility. When asbestos is broken up, it forms long, flexible fibers which can be twisted into asbestos yarn, which is then used in other woven asbestos materials and products. Asbestos yarn is extensively used in caulking, packing and sealing heat insulation materials, bearings and pipes. It is also used in making other asbestos products. The manufacture of these products, as well as the manufacture of asbestos yarn and asbestos rope, release dust into the air that is the single known cause of mesothelioma, a virulent cancer that is invariably fatal. Since the 1960s and 1970s, mesothelioma has killed thousands of people around the world.

It is a common misconception that asbestos products are banned in the U.S. In fact, the 1989 EPA ban against asbestos products was overturned by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans in 1991. Currently, the products that are actually banned in the U.S. are flooring felt, rollboard, and corrugated, commercial or specialty paper containing asbestos. In addition, any "new uses" of asbestos are banned. There are still thousands of products used in manufacturing and construction in the U.S. that contain asbestos.

A simple search on the internet for "asbestos yarn" will turn up dozens of suppliers for asbestos yarn in China, India and other countries. In fact, in 2005, the U.S. imported almost 100,000 kg of asbestos yarn from Mexico, nearly double the amount of asbestos yarn imported from Mexico in 2002, when the imports started.

What kind of asbestos is in asbestos yarn?

From the 1880s to the mid-1960s, much of the asbestos yarn used was made from crocidolite asbestos. Also known as blue asbestos, it is an amphibole asbestos, the type of asbestos most often implicated in cases of mesothelioma.

Currently, most asbestos yarn and textile products are made with chrysotile asbestos. Of the various types of asbestos, chrysotile is considered to be the safest. The longer fibers are relatively dust-free, and the serpentine shape makes it easier for the body to rid itself of them if they are inhaled or ingested. At the same time, most critics of the current U.S. asbestos policies and many overseas experts on the dangers of asbestos agree that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, and no type of asbestos that is completely safe.

The chrysotile asbestos used in making asbestos yarn is also known as "white asbestos". Ninety percent of the world's production of chrysotile asbestos is used to make chrysotile cement. A group of experts convened by the World Health Organization has stated that these asbestos cement products present no significant threat to public health or to workers as long as appropriate precautions are followed.

How is asbestos yarn made?

Asbestos yarn starts with the longest fibers of chrysotile asbestos produced by asbestos mines. The resulting fibers may be blended with organic fibers like rayon or cotton, then carded. The carding process is similar to the one used to mat wool or cotton, using needles to separate and open the fibers and then intertwine them into a thick mat. The carded mat is cut into strips called roving. The roving is then spun into yarn which can be used as is or woven into cloth. Asbestos yarn for some uses may be blended with metals like copper for extra tensile strength and conductivity.

How is asbestos yarn used?

Asbestos yarn is used in many different applications. The yarn itself in varying weights is used to caulk, seal and pack bearings, pipes, heat conduction units and many other products. It is used to insulate heat conducting materials and as gaskets on fittings that will be opened frequently. Asbestos yarn is also the base product for woven asbestos cloth and other asbestos fiber products.

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