Chapter 11: Asbestos

The generic term “asbestos” actually refers to different types of silicate minerals, which all share the common characteristic of being fibrous. To the touch, such a rock quickly disintegrates into extremely fine fibers, the different characteristics and qualities of which have made it an extremely popular material in the 20th and 21st centuries. Beyond this direct observation, these fibers themselves comprise microscopic fibers invisible to the naked eye that can penetrate the human body — hence the dangers associated with asbestos. The health effects linked to the inhalation of this material were highlighted early on, so much so that asbestos became one of the most controversial materials of the 20th century, regularly prompting large mobilizations from the 1970s. Although the quantity of asbestos used in the world very recently started to slowly decline, it remains a particularly clear example of the continued use of a product even when its dangers have been extremely well known and confirmed by scientific work for several decades. While many studies have highlighted ignorance in the production of knowledge and regulations, [1] asbestos actually strikingly exemplifies a case where scientific knowledge exists but is powerless against the weight of economic interest in promoting and maintaining its use [2]. Just as asbestos is a fibrous material that can form different layers, so too does its biography reflect a layering of various characteristics and events. These different dimensions range from its physical–chemical properties that have made it so successful, to the scientific discoveries about the risks associated with its inhalation and the forms of regulation that have allowed for its continued or even encouraged use.