Malignant mesothelioma was formally identified and named in the late 1950s, although it is suspected that other cases existed before this time, albeit few in number.  Indeed, it was not until asbestos mining was a common practice that mesothelioma began to be repeatedly suffered. 

The diseased state of many asbestos miners in countries including the United States, Canada, and South Africa contributed to mesothelioma’s discovery.  Regardless of where the disease originated, it is almost always associated with asbestos exposure, and the risk of mesothelioma increases with the increase of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos mining for industrial purposes was first introduced in the late nineteenth century.  Historically, the United States has been a significant consumer of asbestos, with Canada representing one of the largest asbestos mining industries.  Other significant asbestos mining areas were located in Australia, South Africa, and Turkey.

After 1970, United States asbestos consumption started to decline.  This was the result of documented evidence that proved the dangerous results of working with asbestos.  As this information became increasingly well known, lawsuits mounted and tighter controls were imposed by the government to limit the extent of occupational exposures. 

While miners were most significantly exposed to the dangerous fibers, workers involved in the production of asbestos related products also faced a risk of developing mesothelioma.  These products included insulation, roofing materials, tiles, and textiles. 

Even today some workers are still at risk for exposure to asbestos, but these are mainly individuals involved in its removal or workers who provide maintenance or renovation services for buildings that still contain asbestos.  In a study conducted over a period of years, researchers noticed that asbestos insulation workers had a higher death rate than the general population, and a link between industrial asbestos exposure and mesothelioma was discovered. 

Types of Asbestos Fibers
A historical debate has ensued in the quest to determine which types of asbestos were most likely to cause mesotheliomas.  Several researchers in the forefront of mesothelioma studies argued about whether all forms of asbestos could cause mesotheliomas or if one specific type of the fiber was more dangerous than the other.  Regardless of which form of asbestos has contributed most to mesothelioma development, asbestos is harmful and damaging no matter its type.

As an insulation material, chrysotile was the only form of asbestos used in the United States until the early twentieth century.  Chrysotile is the most common form of asbestos produced worldwide, and is known as “white” asbestos.  This was imported from Canada, and another type of asbestos called amosite was eventually imported from South Africa, to be mixed with the chrysotile asbestos in the process of insulation block production. 

Blue asbestos, or crocidolite, is commonly thought of as the source for many cases of mesothelioma, and is considered to be the cause of the high rate of mesothelioma in major crocidolite producing areas in South Africa and Australia.  In these areas, the risk of mesothelioma is increased even for people who live in the vicinity of the mining operations, regardless of their occupational exposure.