Asbestos is a very dangerous mineral that has been used for centuries. Within the past couple of decades, the mineral has come under heavy fire for causing so many health problems. We are well aware of the health problems that it has caused in recent days, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural thickening. This is due to its heavy use in many different industries, including the construction and automobile industry. Asbestos has been causing health problems for centuries, and has been heavily sued since people discovered it long ago. In fact, asbestos has been causing health problems for people since the ancient world.

    As far back as 4000 B.C., scientists have found asbestos being used by people. One of the oldest findings dates back to 4000 B.C., where they found that asbestos had been used for wicks in lamps and candles. This is very dangerous as the burning of the wicks would allow for the asbestos to easily go airborne and be inhaled into the lungs. In the lungs it could cause a whole host of issues.

    Around 2000-3000 B.C., ancient Egyptians bodies were found that had been embalmed using asbestos cloth. Although this won’t cause and health problems for the dead bodies, it would have caused health problems for the people doing the embalming. Disturbing asbestos sheets can make the asbestos in them go airborne, and when asbestos go airborne, they become incredibly dangerous.

    Along with ancient Egypt, Romans were also heavily using asbestos in sheets and clothes. Greeks, alongside the Romans, were heavy users of asbestos.

    It was actually a Greek geographer who first realized that asbestos was causing health problems. Strabo, the geographer, noted that people who worked heavily in the asbestos mines tended to contract a type of lung sickness in their later days.

    Strabo is considered to be the first person to figure out asbestos cause health problems, although it would be until centuries later they we figured it out again for ourselves.