Uploaded on 2014-10-18 by barbarafillip

![Asbestos Warning @ work site][1] Initially seen as a magical mineral because of its properties (flexibility, resistance to heat, etc...) it has a long history of use, including in Ancient Egypt (used to strengthen clothing and embalm pharaohs). Its mining and use increased with the industrial age and it has been extensively used in construction materials. Health concerns led to decreases in its use, yet the United States has not yet banned its use. The question was about the origins of materials used in construction: It is quite possible that the asbestos in the building depicted in the photo was mined in the United States. Another possibility is that it was mined in Canada, the US's closest alternative source. It is still produced in Russia, China, Brazil, and Khazakstan. Canada recently stopped its production. The US stopped its production in 2002. Two takeaways for me this week regarding this exercise: 1) the benefits of certain materials need to weighed against all of their disadvantages and careful research needs to be done ahead of time. Once a material is embedded into a building, it can be difficult to remove it. 2) Even if that material is relatively harmless embedded in the building, that building will have to come down some day and removal of embedded hazardous materials can be dangerous and costly. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1413626699349738.jpg