Global

Asbestos: a photo-essay of asbestos materials and products

A photo-essay on some products that have contained asbestos over the years, ranging from cement and insulation to snow and cigarettes.

Tom Quinn Administrator

December 18, 2024

Weathered Exterior Galbestos Panels — Asbestos sheeting, a once common asbestos product.

Asbestos Snow Horizontal Box — Asbestos snow, containing brown asbestos (amosite) and white asbestos (chrysotile). Used until the 1950s, asbestos snow can be seen in some classic films, including 'The Wizard of Oz'.

Textile - Labeled Sample — Asbestos was used in a range of textiles and kitchenware, including oven mitts and mats.

Kent Micronite Cigarette Filter — Evidence that cigarettes were carcinogenic grew in the 1950s. The tobacco industry responded by introducing 'filters' in their cigarettes as a 'safety' feature. Kent's cigarettes briefly used blue asbestos in their filter.

Damaged Ceiling Tile — Asbestos was commonly used in ceiling tiles.

Certain car components, in particular brake linings, contain asbestos.

Gasket - Damaged — A damaged gasket, with visible asbestos fibres exposed.

Basketball Backboard Coating — A basketball board containing composite asbestos material. More commonly, this type of material can also be found underneath sinks.

Cement - Damaged Corrugated Sheeting — Damaged asbestos cement sheeting.

Cement - Closeup — A close-up of asbestos cement, one of the most common uses of asbestos. When it's damaged, asbestos fibres can be exposed.

Rooftops in Mumbai — Photo of rooftops in part of Mumbai, India. Asbestos-cement roofing is still made and sold in India. FiledIMAGE.

Fireproofing - Spray-applied — Sprayed asbestos fireproofing. The asbestos is friable and therefore easily disturbed and dangerous.

Flooring - Damaged Sheet — Asbestos-containing flooring. When damaged or being removed, asbestos fibres can be released.

Flooring - Tile Closeup — A close-up photo of damaged floor tiles containing asbestos.

Fire door — Some fire doors can appear as an ordinary interior door, but have a solid block core of white asbestos insulation, covered with thin wood veneer.

Insulation - Damaged Boiler TSI — Highly damaged asbestos insulation on an old boiler.

Insulation - Damaged Pipe TSI — Asbestos insulation on pipework.

Insulation - Damaged Duct TSI — Asbestos insulation on a duct.

Toaster Insulation — Asbestos could be found in several household appliances: heaters, ovens, and in this instance, a toaster. This toaster has exposed friable asbestos insulation panels, asbestos-insulated electrical wiring, and an asbestos-insulated electrical cord.

Mastic - Labeled Can Product — Liquid asbestos mastic.

Carosel Dish Towels — Asbestos-containing dish towels.

Plaster - Closeup — Close-up photo of asbestos plaster.

Textile - Electrical Wiring — Many electrical components were made with asbestos. In this instance, there is asbestos insulation in the electrical wiring.

Pipes of asbestos downspouts dumped in Spain. Antonio Carlos Soria Hernandez.

Vermiculite - Asbestos-contaminated (Zonolite bag) — Vermiculite attic insulation, containing 2-5% tremolite asbestos. Asbestos-tainted vermiculite caused a public health crisis in Libby, USA.

Talc — Some asbestos has historically been found in talcum powder products, as when talc is mined it can sometimes be tainted with asbestos.

All photos taken, unless otherwise stated, belong to Asbestorama.

You can find thousands more photos from their archive here.