Fate of the miraculous mineral--ban asbestos worldwide campaign.

Asbestos is a generic term used to describe natural mineral fibers found in the ground in many regions of the world. This cheap material with special chemical and physical properties that make it virtually indestructible was widely used in the 20th century. Within twenty years of the first industrial production, the public health hazards associated with asbestos started to come to light. Asbestos has become one of the most worrying industrial pollutants, since it poses a health hazard of asbestosis, lung cancer, mesotheliomas, and benign changes in the pleura. In spite of the WHO recommendations, environmental health criteria and their revision, asbestos is still around.