Bad Dust: A History of the Asbestos Disaster

Though it was banned in the UK in 1999, asbestos still kills more than 5,000 people every year. How did this happen? And what can we do about it?

Asbestos was once known as the “magic mineral.” Cheap, versatile, and tough, it was used in a wide range of industrial and consumer products, from fireproofing spray on warships, to insulation panels in high-rise towers, to tablecloths and ironing board covers. But from the dawn of the industry in the late 1800s, it was apparent that asbestos dust ...