ABSTRACT
It was known as the Magic Mineral. Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that was valued since ancient times for its resistance to heat and ªame, became one of the most prevalent and vexing environmental problems in recent times. Its long history goes back to the ancient Greeks, who gave the mineral its name, which means “inextinguishable.” Its modern history began in the mid-1800s, when the construction industry began incorporating asbestos „bers in its roo„ng materials to prevent „res from spreading in urban areas.
