The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

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

It is not possible to tell by simply looking at something if it's made of asbestos. Also, you cannot smell or taste it. It is only visible when the asbestos-containing materials are chipped, drilled or broken.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made the majority of the asbestos produced. It was used by many industries which included construction, fireproofing, and insulation. However, if workers were exposed to this toxic material, they could contract mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Fortunately, the use this harmful mineral has diminished significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to grow in the 1960's. However, trace amounts are still found in products that we use today.

Chrysotile can be safely used if a thorough safety and handling plan is put into place. It has been found that at the current controlled exposure levels, there isn't an undue risk to the workers working with it. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma were all linked to breathing airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for both intensity (dose) and duration of exposure.

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

Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other types of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. This makes them more prone to cause negative consequences than longer fibres.

When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it's very difficult for the fibres to be airborne and cause health hazards. The fibre cement products are used extensively throughout the world particularly in structures like hospitals and schools.

Research has proven that chrysotile is less prone to cause illness than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile mix together, a strong and flexible product is created which is able to withstand the most extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibres can be easily removed by a professional, and then eliminated.

Amosite

Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicates found in a variety of rock formations. It is classified into six groups: amphibole (serpentine) and the tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

asbestos legal (have a peek here) minerals are composed of thin, long fibers that range 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 can also be found in a powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals to form vermiculite or talcum powder. These are commonly used as consumer products, such as baby powder, cosmetics and facial powder.

The largest use of asbestos was in the first two-thirds period of the 20th century where it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed vermiculite or talc that was contaminated, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied by the type of industry, the time period and geographic location.

The majority of asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were because of inhalation, but certain workers were exposed via skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos can be found in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined ore and deterioration of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes, clutches and ceiling and floor tiles.

There is evidence to suggest that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. They are not tightly weaved like the fibrils that are found in amphibole and serpentine they are loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the cliffs and mountains in a variety of countries.

Asbestos is absorbed into the environment mostly as airborne particles, but it can also leach into soil and water. This can be caused by natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and ananthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes at landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is mostly due to natural weathering, however it has also been caused by anthropogenic activities like mining and milling demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping ground in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the primary cause of disease among those exposed to asbestos during their work.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most common way people are exposed to harmful fibres, which could then be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other illnesses can be caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos can happen in a variety of ways like contact with contaminated clothing or construction materials. This type of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easy to breathe and can be lodged deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are the most commonly used forms of asbestos and account for 95 percent of all commercial asbestos currently used. The other four asbestos types are not as prevalent, but could still be present in older structures. They are less dangerous than amosite and chrysotile, however they could be a risk when mixed with other asbestos minerals or mined close to other mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.

Several studies have found an association between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. A number of studies have confirmed that asbestos exposure is linked to stomach. However the evidence isn't conclusive. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, whereas others have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all types of asbestos carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos case may cause mesothelioma as well as other health problems, but the risks vary according to the amount of exposure people are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure and the way in the way it is inhaled or ingested. The IARC has recommended that the prevention of all asbestos types is the most important thing to do, as this is the best option for people. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma or other respiratory ailments They should seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals that may create prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral composed of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic system of crystals, but some have an orthorhombic shape. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are composed of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another by octahedral sites in strips.

Amphiboles are found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark and hard. They can be difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes due to their similar hardness and color. They also share a corresponding cleavage. However their chemistry permits many different compositions. The different mineral groups within amphibole are identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.

The five asbestos types belonging to the amphibole family are amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, and actinolite. Each kind of asbestos has distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is the most dangerous asbestos type. It is made up of sharp fibers that are easily inhaled into the lungs. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish hue and is made mostly of iron and asbestos legal magnesium. This type was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are challenging to analyze because they have a a complicated chemical structure and a variety of substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most common methods for identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For Asbestos Legal instance, these techniques, cannot distinguish between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and.