Asbestos is a mineral that has been widely used in the past for commercial uses, but because it is a carcinogen, asbestos uses today have been significantly reduced. Even so, asbestos is still in some use commercially.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from the ground. It is flame retardant, so it has been used for over a century in construction materials and in shipyards. At one point, it was used in so many things because of its amazing properties of insulation, heat resistance and strength that it became a standard in certain industries.

Asbestos uses today have declined significantly since the 1970s because of findings that asbestos inhalation cause certain lung cancers including asbestos mesothelioma.

By 2002, asbestos mining had stopped in the United States but some asbestos is still imported, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, or ATSDR.

Asbestos uses today include construction materials and some automotive materials. The ATSDR reports that asbestos continues to be used in:

• Automobile clutches
• Brake pads
• Corrugated sheeting
• Imported cement pipe
• Roofing materials
• Vinyl tile

Even though asbestos is banned in 50 countries and uses today have significantly dropped according to asbestos.com, the substance can still be found in many homes and buildings.

Asbestos uses today differ from how the mineral was used in the past. In the past, asbestos was used in boiler and heating vessels, cement pipe, conduits for electric wire, electric motor components, laboratory furniture, paper products, pipe coverings, insulation products and textiles.

Today it can also be found in such construction products such as caulking and joint compound, ceiling and floor tiles, heat resistant fabrics, roofing and siding shingles, textured paints and patching compounds and walls and floors around wood burning stoves.

If a building was built before 1975, there is a chance that asbestos products may be present.

Asbestos mesothelioma can occur when someone is exposed to friable asbestos fibers. Friable asbestos can be broken apart or crumbled. When this happens, such as during renovation of a home, these fibers are released into the air and can be breathed in.

Once they are breathed in, the fibers lodge in the lungs and cannot be expelled. As fibers lodge in the mesothelial tissue, or tissue that surround the lungs, it causes cellular damage and can result in tumor growth.

There is often a long period of time between asbestos exposure, which is often work related, and the development of cancer. Most mesothelioma occurs after long term asbestos exposure and not after a one time or short term exposure. It can be more than a decade before discovery.

If you believe you have been exposed to asbestos and have developed mesothelioma, you may be entitled to legal compensation.