Asbestos!

In lieu of my researching many things Sherlock Holmes, I am making a blog post similar to what Sherlock might do (really just more on a topic he would do). Asbestos is the random topic- specifically the locations that asbestos could be found. Most of my information is coming from the wikipedia article on asbestos. Let me know if you think it is up to par.

• Chlor Alkali diaphragm membranes used to make chlorine (currently in the USA) 

• Drywall and joint compound

• Plaster

• Gas mask filters pre 1960s

• Mud and texture coats

• Vinyl floor tiles, sheeting, adhesives

• Roofing tars, felts, siding, and shingles^[36]

• "Transite" panels, siding, countertops, and pipes

• Popcorn ceilings, also known as acoustic ceilings

• Fireproofing

• Caulk

• Industrial and Marine Gaskets, including those made by Garlock Sealing Technologies

• Packing, a system for sealing a rotating shaft

• Brake pads and shoes

• Stage curtains

• Fire blankets

• Interior fire doors

• Fireproof clothing for firefighters

• Thermal pipe insulation

• Filters for removing fine particulates from chemicals, liquids and wine

• Dental cast linings

• HVAC flexible duct connectors

• Drilling fluid additives

• Low density insulating board (often referred to as AIB or asbestos insulating board) and ceiling tiles;

• Asbestos-cement pipe (made until the early 1990s by at least one manufacturer);

• Asbestos-cement sheets and pipes for construction, casing for water and electrical/telecommunication services;

• Thermal and chemical insulation (e.g., fire rated doors, limpet spray, lagging and gaskets)

"In 2010, Washington State banned asbestos in automotive brakes starting in 2014." This presumably means that brakes still have asbestos in them even though above stated that they started replacing them with non-asbestos replacements in mid-1990's. 1980's is date on stopping ceiling tiles with asbestos. Another potential side-effect of terrorist attack is asbestos exposure: "Inhalation of a mixture of asbestos and other toxicants is thought to be linked to the unusually high death rate of emergency service workers from cancer since the disaster. Many thousands more are now thought to be at risk of developing cancer due to this exposure with those who have died so far being only the 'tip of the iceberg'." Of course as long as the temperatures remain under a certain point, after that asbestos becomes non-hazardous: "Asbestos can be recycled by transforming it into harmless silicate glass. A process of thermal decomposition at 1000–1250 °C produces a mixture of non-hazardous silicate phases, and at temperatures above 1250 °C it produces silicate glass." Also, if the asbestos is adequately wet it will prevent exposure by explosion of a building with asbestos: "The phrase "adequately wet" is an environmental term referring to the handling of asbestos containing work, such as the demolition of older houses containing carcinogenic asbestos tiles or roof materials. Since there is no minimum threshold for a safe level of outdoor asbestos particle concentration, it should be handled by making it wet in order to prevent the escape of particles. The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines the term 'adequately wet' as: "sufficiently mixed or penetrated with liquid to prevent the release of particulates"." Does this mean water or any other similar liquid?

****UPDATE****
The usage of asbestos was never actually banned. Things can still be sold and created with asbestos in them. The restrictions on asbestos is the limit of how much a person can be exposed to- within certain limits set by OSHA and EPA. Typically that means that asbestos material is ok where it is as long as it isn't friable- meaning able to release asbestos fibers in the air by hand pressure. This does create problems when renovating or demolishing, which happens a lot with the older buildings that have asbestos.
Unfortunately they do not burn the asbestos to change it into something less harmful. It is simply buried in a landfill where the fibers can't get into the air. The next form of asbestos is tiger eye-after more time, moisture, and pressure in the cracks in the earth.
The real danger of asbestos are the tiny fibers which our bodies do not have a way to remove from our body. The minute ones (at least 5 micrometers long with a 3:1 length-width aspect ratio according to regulatory agencies) get stuck in our tissues and bug them to cancer. The wet method is just to prevent fibers from getting released, as much as it can. Anything that small that gets lodged in our tissues that doesn't belong will probably have the same result.