The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was found in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer, as well as other health issues.

You can't tell if something includes asbestos lawyer simply by looking at it and you can't taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detectable when materials containing it are broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile comprised up 99% of asbestos production. It was widely used in industries, including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. However, if workers were exposed for long periods to this toxic material, Asbestos they could develop mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use this toxic mineral has decreased significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to spread in the 1960's. It is still found in many products we use today.

Chrysotile can be used in a safe manner when a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. It has been determined that at the current controlled exposure levels, there isn't an unneeded risk to the people handling the substance. Inhaling airborne fibres has been found to be strongly linked with lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been confirmed for both the intensity (dose) and the duration of exposure.

In one study, mortality rates were compared among a factory which used largely Chrysotile for the production of friction materials and national death rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant rise in mortality in this factory.

Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other forms of asbestos. They are able to penetrate the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health problems over longer fibres.

It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibres be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are extensively used in various parts of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has proven that amphibole asbestos, such as amosite or crocidolite is less likely to cause disease. Amphibole asbestos types have been the primary cause of mesothelioma and various asbestos-related diseases. When the cement and chrysotile are combined and cured, a tough, flexible product is created which is able to withstand the most extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also simple to clean after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicates found in certain types of rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: amphibole, serpentine, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibers that vary in length from fine to broad. They can also be curled or straight. These fibers are found in nature in bundles, or as individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals are also found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite, which have been widely used in consumer products such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and other.

Asbestos was extensively used in the early two-thirds of the 20th century for construction of ships, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were asbestos fibres that were borne in the air, but some workers were exposed vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time, and geographic location.

Most of the occupational exposures to asbestos were due to inhalation, but some workers were also exposed through contact with skin or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only present in the air due to the natural weathering of mined ore and the degradation of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes, clutches as well as ceiling and floor tiles.

It is becoming clear that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that don't form the tightly knit fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers are found in the cliffs and mountains from a variety of countries.

Asbestos can be absorbed into the environment in many ways, including through airborne particles. It can also leach out into soil or water. This can be triggered by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is mostly due to natural weathering, however it has also been caused by human activities such as milling and mining, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials as well as the disposal of contaminated dumping soils in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres is still the primary cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most popular way people are exposed to harmful fibres, which could then be inhaled and cause serious health problems. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibers can be experienced in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is particularly dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are smaller and more fragile, making them easier to breathe. They also can get deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to a larger number of mesothelioma related cases than any other type of asbestos.

The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite. The most well-known forms of asbestos are chrysotile and epoxiemite, which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos compensation employed. The other four types of asbestos haven't been as widely used however they can be present in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite or chrysotile, but they can still pose a threat when mixed with other minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, such as vermiculite and talc.

Numerous studies have demonstrated an association between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence isn't conclusive. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent of the CI = 0.76-2.5) for those who work in chrysotile mines and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos may cause mesothelioma or other health problems, but the risks are different based on the amount of exposure that individuals are exposed to, the kind of asbestos used as well as the length of their exposure and the method by which it is inhaled or ingested. IARC has declared that the best choice for individuals is to avoid all forms of asbestos. If someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma and other respiratory diseases They should seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that can create prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type of silicate mineral made up of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They typically possess a monoclinic crystal system however, some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are composed of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons that are joined in rings of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another by octahedral sites in strips.

Amphiboles are found in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark and hard. Due to their similarity of hardness and color, they could be difficult for some to differentiate from pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding Cleavage. Their chemistry allows for a range of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different minerals in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.

The five asbestos types in the amphibole class include amosite, anthophyllite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. Each type of asbestos comes with its own distinctive properties. Crocidolite is the most dangerous asbestos kind. It contains sharp fibers that can be easily breathed into the lung. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. This variety was once used in cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals can be difficult to study because of their a complicated chemical structure and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires special methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For example, these techniques cannot distinguish between magnesiohastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. These techniques also cannot differentiate between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.