Asbestos (brown)

Asbestos is a mineral that has been valued since the Neolithic period for its fire-retardant properties, its durability and its fibrous, ‘flax-like’ quality that lends it to being spun and woven into a textile. However the friability and durability that made it so attractive also make it extremely hazardous. Asbestos is the family name for a number of different silicate minerals characterised by long, thin, visible fibrous crystals that readily separate into millions of microscopic fibrils. These microscopic fibres are so small they are easily inhaled deep into the respiratory system where they cling and endure, causing a number of lung diseases and cancers.

Once known as the 'unquenchable' fibre, asbestos is now better known as a hidden killer, entangled in a web of deception by manufacturers who knew of the risks to their workers but stayed silent. Although its hazards were suspected long before, the first recorded asbestos-related death wasn't until 1924. Control regulations to reduce dusts in asbestos factories were only introduced in the UK in 1931, but asbestos wasn't banned until the year 2000. Asbestos continues to be mined and used in numerous non-EU countries, with Russia as the world’s largest producer of the mineral and China as the world’s biggest user.

Because asbestos-related diseases take such a long time to develop its legacy is still in effect: the HSE estimate that in the UK, 20 tradesmen a week die as a result of past exposure. Asbestos is still quite common in old buildings, ships and museum objects: now the most notorious disease-causing mineral, historically asbestos was thought to be a miracle material and was widely used. As well as the construction products it is well known for, asbestos has been found in items as varied as refractory ceramics, cigarette filters, fake snow, gas masks and even toothpaste. It is common for museum conservators to do an asbestos survey before starting any work.

Because of the risks associated with asbestos, these mineral specimens have been professionally sealed in airtight acrylic boxes and are monitored regularly to ensure there’s been no degradation. With continued monitoring to ensure the fibres aren’t disturbed, they can be kept on display safely. These samples have been kept as raw as possible to show the long, thin, fibrous nature of the material – a quality that lends it to being spun into a fire-retardant textile but also allows it to be inhaled deeper into the lungs, exacerbating its carcinogenic effects.

Although it would be simplest to get rid of all materials that pose any kind of risk to human and environmental health, this would be to ignore the importance of these samples for educational and inspirational purposes. As asbestos remediation expert Kevin Graham states: “With some of the historical specimens, it’s criminal to have them locked away and for no-one to see them. [The history of asbestos] makes us think about the kinds of materials we are using today, like Machine Made Mineral Fibre (MMMF), MDF and nanotechnology”. As Graham argues, in displaying these materials and discussing their historical impact on human health, we can begin to think about how to avoid similar situations with future materials developments.