My decision to put an asbestos layer under the stove sparked fierce discussions among friends. Even Nina looked at me incredulously at first and fought the urge to give a lecture about the harm of this terrible mineral. I compare horror stories about asbestos to horror stories about GMOs. They are on everyone's mind, but no one knows anything about it. Well, I will devote this post to debunking one of the myths that humanity "suffers" from.
It so happened that my paths with asbestos crossed from the very birth. It's simple - I was born in the Ural city of the same name Asbestos. It was from this city that the extraction of material began in Russia, which causes so much controversy today. Rumors about how dangerous asbestos is, only piqued curiosity in the boys of our city. Trips for the treasured pieces of mineral were made regularly - there were no dire consequences.
The fate turned out so that in the medical field I again encountered asbestos. This time in the context of studying asbestosis, a disease caused by inhalation of asbestos dust.
During the practice, our course repeatedly looked inside people. As luck would have it, not a single case of asbestosis was presented. With this question, I went to the pathologist, and he confirmed my guesses. For all the years of practice, no bodies with such a disappointing diagnosis have been reported.I have heard a lot about the hysteria around asbestos. Each "green" strives to read a lecture that this material is poisonous. It poses a threat not only to individuals, but to all of humanity. I can only answer the presented theory with practice and indisputable facts. Over the years of my life in my native Asbestos, I have not noticed a high mortality rate due to this unfortunate building material.
I'll make a digression.There are two types of asbestos: amphibole and chrysotile. The first is mined in Canada and poses a real health hazard. The risks to which people are exposed to "contact" with chrysotile asbestos have not been scientifically proven to this day. But because of the relationship with the dangerous "dangerous" amphibole cousin, our asbestos suffers from persecution on a global scale.
Amphibole asbestos fibers enter the lungs and are not excreted for a year or more. Because of this, pathological changes begin in the organs, which can become irreversible. Among the consequences of inhaling amphibole are lung cancer, stomach cancer and mesothelioma.
Chrysotile asbestos has no similar properties - it leaves the respiratory system after 2-3 weeks without harm to human health. The harm from inhaling chrysolite is observed, but for the manifestation of symptoms you need to breathe over asbestos dust constantly.
To minimize exposure to asbestos, it must be securely hidden under the oven, which I did. I laid the carbon sheets inside the walls, covered them with foil and stainless steel sheets. Of course, some percentage of the chrysolite will get into the air. But with so much substance, the body can easily cope. Even if the particles enter the lungs, they leave them after a couple of days.