“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enacted a rule on June 1 making it easier for companies to use asbestos in products, Fast Company explained in a recent report. But what, exactly, is asbestos, and why is it dangerous?

“Asbestos is a naturally occurring material made up of thin crystal fibers and is resistant to heat and corrosion, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) says.

“Humans used it for centuries, and by the early 1900s, it had become a staple material of the industrialized world, according to Scientific American.

“Companies packed it into walls for insulation, mixed it with plastics, sealed it into floors and built it into cars.

“An “Asbestos Man” greeted visitors to the 1939 New York World’s Fair, celebrating the material’s “service to humanity.””

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