ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Asbestos cement

Asbestos cement is a type of building material that's made by mixing asbestos fibers with cement (the gray powdery stuff that's used to make concrete). Asbestos is a type of mineral that's found in certain rocks, and it was once thought to be a great material for building things because it's fire-resistant and can withstand high temperatures.

However, people later discovered that asbestos can be very dangerous to our health because when it's broken or crushed, the fibers can become airborne and we can breathe them in. When these fibers get into our lungs, they can cause many health problems, like lung cancer, mesothelioma (a type of cancer that affects the lining of organs), and asbestosis (a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe).

Asbestos cement was commonly used in buildings and homes until the 1980s, when people started to realize how dangerous asbestos can be. Today, most countries have banned the use of asbestos in building materials, but there are still many buildings and homes with asbestos cement that need to be safely removed and disposed of to protect people's health.
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