Where does asbestos come from?

Asbestos is found in certain rock formations and is mined from open pit mines. A small amount of asbestos is everywhere - in the air, soil, and water. Therefore, everyone is exposed to some asbestos; it may be in the drinking water and it is in the air at very low levels. However, the asbestos-related diseases usually occur in people who have worked with fairly high levels of asbestos for a long time and who were not protected from breathing in the fibers. Canada is the only industrialized country that still mines asbestos (chrysotile or white asbestos), and it is the second largest exporter of asbestos in the world (after Russia). Mining also occurs in Zimbabwe and South Africa.