Asbestos warning sign marking land contaminated with asbestos buried here after the demolition of a power station. Asbestos consists of silicate minerals that are used as insulation in the building industry. If the asbestos degrades and is exposed, asbestos fibres will be released into the air. These are small and can be inhaled deep into the lungs. As the body is unable to degrade them, lung damage (asbestosis) and lung cancers such as mesotheliomas result. Photographed in the West Midlands, England.