The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos was widely used in commercial products. According research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.

It is impossible to determine if a product is asbestos-containing by looking at it, and you won't be able to smell or taste it. It is only discovered in the event that asbestos-containing products are chipped, drilled or broken.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 99percent of the asbestos made. It was employed in many industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related illnesses. Thankfully, the use this dangerous mineral has decreased drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to spread in the 1960's. It is still found in many products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling plan in place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't exposed to a significant amount of risk at current limit of exposure. Inhaling airborne fibres is strongly linked to lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been confirmed both for intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure.

One study that looked into an industrial facility that used almost all chrysotile as its friction materials compared mortality rates in this factory with national death rates. It was concluded that for 40 years of processing chrysotile asbestos at low levels of exposure, there was no significant additional mortality in this factory.

Chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter than other types of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health issues than fibres that are longer.

When chrysotile is mixed into cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to be airborne and pose health risks. The fibre cement products are extensively used all over the world, especially in buildings like hospitals and schools.

Research has proven that chrysotile has a lower chance to cause disease than amphibole asbestos, such as crocidolite and amosite. Amphibole asbestos kinds have been the main cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it forms a strong, flexible construction product that can withstand harsh conditions in the weather and other environmental hazards. It is also simple to clean after use. Asbestos fibres are easily removed by a professional and then safely taken away.

Amosite

Asbestos is a category of silicate mineral fibrous which are found naturally in a variety of kinds of rock formations. It is comprised of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that range in length from fine to broad. They can be curled or straight. They are present in nature as individual fibrils or bundles that have splaying ends, referred to as fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can be found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite which are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and other.

The greatest asbestos use was during the early two-thirds of the twentieth century in the period when it was employed in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were asbestos fibres borne by air, but some workers were exposed vermiculite or talc that was contaminated as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied by industry, time period and geographic location.

Most of the asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were because of inhalation, but some workers were also exposed through contact with skin or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos can be found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined ore and the degradation of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes and clutches, as well as floor and ceiling tiles.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are fibres don't form the tightly interwoven fibrils that are found in the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the mountains and cliffs of several countries.

Asbestos gets into the environment primarily in the form of airborne particles, however it can also be absorbed into soil and water. This happens both through natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by anthropogeny, such as through milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the most significant cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos during their job.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most frequent method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can infiltrate the lungs and cause serious health issues. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibres can also take place in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The dangers of exposure are higher when crocidolite which is the blue form of asbestos, is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are easy to inhale and can lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with a higher number of mesothelioma-related cases than any other form of asbestos.

The six major types are chrysotile as well as amosite. The most common asbestos types are epoxiemite and chrysotile which together make up the majority of commercial asbestos used. The other four asbestos types aren't as common, but may still be found in older structures. They are less dangerous than amosite and chrysotile, however they could pose a threat when combined with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite.

A number of studies have demonstrated an connection between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. Numerous studies have shown a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. However, the evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% of the time CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos as well as an SMR of 1.24 (95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma as well as other health issues, but the risks differ based on the amount of exposure that individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos litigation used and the duration of their exposure and the method by which it is breathed in or ingested. IARC has declared that the best choice for individuals is to avoid all types of asbestos. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma condition, then you should consult your GP or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals that form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic system of crystals, but some exhibit an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains comprise (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in rings of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons are separated from one another by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphiboles can be found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark-colored and tough. Because of their similar hardness and color, they can be difficult for some people to distinguish from Pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding cut. Their chemistry allows for a variety of compositions. The various amphibole mineral groups are identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.

The five types of asbestos that belong to the amphibole group include chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. Each type of asbestos attorney comes with its own distinct properties. Crocidolite is considered to be the most hazardous asbestos type. It is composed of sharp fibers which are easily inhaled into the lung. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish color asbestos and is composed primarily of magnesium and iron. This variety was once used in cement-based products and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze because they have a complex chemical structures and many substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires special methods. The most commonly used methods to identify amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques can't distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. These techniques also do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.