Due to its high resistance to heat and excellent insulating characteristics, asbestos was once widely utilized in industrial production. Exposure to asbestos fibers, however, was later found to cause major health problems, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. Since then, businesses worldwide have phased out the use of asbestos altogether. The effects of the manufacturing sector's shift away from asbestos use and the factors that led to this shift are discussed in this article.…more »