We often think of asbestos as a building material that was used a lot after the second world war, and it is true that many of the buildings during this period relied on a lot of asbestos use. However, asbestos has been used for thousands of years and many ancient civilisations used it for different things, from the Romans to the Egyptians.
Because of its fantastic fireproof properties, the Industrial Revolution saw a rise in asbestos use, and in the years that followed it was used in properties all over the UK as well as all around the world. As well as being great at fireproofing, it also was useful for insulation, and in the days before central heating this helped to keep the home cosy and warm.
During the 20th Century however, as asbestos use was growing, many doctors were starting to notice a pattern emerging – people who worked with asbestos or were exposed to it a lot were suffering from respiratory problems and were also more likely to develop certain cancers. Once this link became proven, then the material was banned and from 1999, asbestos was no longer allowed to be used to build homes.
Although it is great that going forward there is no longer going to be such a dangerous substance in the home, and that we now know the extent of the risks, we do have the problem of lots of properties that have already been built which have asbestos in them.
If you suspect that your property has this, or you are wanting to develop a property or land that has been contaminated by asbestos, it is important that you get it removed by a professional like this land remediation company https://soilfix.co.uk/ and that you do not attempt to remove it yourself.
