What does «asbesto» mean in Spanish?
- A term used to refer to six naturally occurring silicate minerals. All are composed of long, thin fibrous crystals, each fiber being composed of many microscopic fibrils that can be released into the atmosphere by abrasion and other processes. The six fibrous materials are: brown asbestos (grunerite), white asbestos (chrysotile), blue asbestos (riebeckite), asbestos-tremolite (tremolite), asbestos-actinolite (bisolite), gray asbestos (anthophyllite). Asbestos is a well-known health hazard and its use as a building material is banned in many countries. Inhalation of the fibers can lead to various lung conditions, including asbestosis and cancer.