There are three common types of asbestos: -          White asbestos: Also known as chrysotile. Chemically, it’s a magnesium silicate compound. Its color ranges from grayish white to green or yellow. It is present in the form of three subtypes; clinochrysotile, orthocrysotile and parachrysotile. The three types however, are very difficult to distinguish from each other.  It is the most common type of asbestos found in products. It consists of white curly fibers obtained from serpentine rocks. It is a flexible type of asbestos and can be used in the fabric industry as well as the production of joint compound (which is commonly referred to as “mud”).  -          Brown/Gray asbestos: Also known as amosite. It contains magnesium and iron and is formed of straight fibers. Is commonly obtained from Africa and its name is actually an acronym that stands for Asbestos Mines of South Africa  -          Blue asbestos: Otherwise known as crocidolite. Belongs to the same group of amphiboles as brown asbestos. It is a sodium iron magnesium silicate compound and is microscopically formed of straight, dark blue fibers. This is considered the most dangerous form of asbestos to health. There are additional forms of asbestos like termolite, actinolite and anthophyllite