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Asbestos

Asbestos possess particularly interesting technical features: it is not burning, it resists to aggressive chemical products and it is a good insulator against heat, noise and electricity. Moreover, woven asbestos fibers are more resistant to traction than steel.

In Switzerland, due to these features and low price, asbestos was massively used from 1950 to 1980 in constructions under various forms, and was then prohibited in 1990 for health hazard reasons.

This hazard is due to asbestos fibers penetrating lungs, which are only partially eliminated by the human body. Part of those fibers stay definitely and can cause hardening of the lungs or cancers. Asbestos induced diseases usually set in 10 to 40 years after exposure. It is therefore very important to be aware of this problem, especially concerning buildings occupied by children and young persons.