The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos was still used in a variety of commercial products. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health issues.

It is impossible to tell just by taking a look at something if it's made of asbestos. It is also impossible to taste or smell it. It is only visible when asbestos-containing materials are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up for 90% of the asbestos that was produced. It was used by many industries including construction, fireproofing, and insulation. However, if workers were exposed to the toxic substance, they could develop mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Thankfully, the use this harmful mineral has diminished significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to increase in the 1960's. However, trace amounts can still be found in products that we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use if you have a comprehensive safety and handling plan in place. People who handle chrysotile do not exposed to an undue amount of risk at the present limits of exposure. The inhalation of airborne fibres has been linked with lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been proven for both intensity (dose) and time of exposure.

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

Chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter than other types of asbestos. They are able to enter the lungs, and then pass through the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems than longer fibres.

When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it's extremely difficult for the fibres to air-borne and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products are extensively used across the globe particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals.

Research has demonstrated that amphibole asbestos, such as amosite or crocidolite is not as likely to cause disease. These amphibole varieties are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it creates an extremely durable and flexible building product that can withstand harsh conditions in the weather and other environmental dangers. It is also very easy to clean up after use. Professionals can safely dispose of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a class of fibrous silicates found in certain types rock formations. It is classified into six groups which include amphibole (serpentine), tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that range in length from fine to wide. They can also be straight or curled. These fibres are found in nature as individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends referred to as a fibril matrix. Asbestos is also found in powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals in order to create talcum powder or vermiculite. These are commonly used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, vimeo and face powder.

The largest asbestos use was during the first two-thirds of the twentieth century in the period when it was employed in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres that were borne in the air, but some workers were exposed contaminated vermiculite or talc and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied by the type of industry, the time period and geographical location.

Most of the asbestos exposures at work were because of inhalation, but certain workers were exposed through contact with skin or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only found in the environment because of natural weathering and degradation of contaminated products, such as ceiling and floor tiles as well as car brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.

There is evidence to suggest that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that do not have the tight knit fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers are found in the mountains and cliffs from a variety of countries.

Asbestos can be absorbed into the environment in a variety ways, such as in airborne particles. It is also able to leach into soil or water. This can be triggered by both natural (weathering of calabasas asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is mostly a result of natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by anthropogenic activities like mining and milling demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos during their work.

Crocidolite

Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most frequent method by which people are exposed to harmful fibres, which could be absorbed into the lungs and cause serious health problems. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibres can occur in a variety of ways including contact with contaminated clothing, or building materials. The dangers of this kind of exposure are heightened when crocidolite, a blue form of asbestos, is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and may lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other asbestos types.

The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite and tremolite. They are epoxiemite, tremol anthophyllite, and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most commonly used types of asbestos, glennville asbestos and comprise 95% of the commercial asbestos that is used. The other four have not been as popularly used however, they could be found in older buildings. They are not as dangerous as amosite or chrysotile however they could still be a risk when mixed with other minerals or when mined near other mineral deposits, such as vermiculite and talc.

Several studies have found an connection between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. However there is no conclusive evidence. Some researchers have cited a SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, whereas others report an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in chrysotile mills and mines.

IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all types of asbestos carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma or other health issues, however the risks vary according to the amount of exposure individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos used as well as the duration of exposure and the manner in which it is breathed in or ingested. The IARC has advised that abstaining from all asbestos forms should be the top priority, as this is the safest option for individuals. However, if a person has been exposed to downey asbestos Attorney in the past and suffer from an illness, such as mesothelioma or other respiratory ailments They should seek advice from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral composed of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, 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 which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons are separated by strips of octahedral site.

Amphibole minerals are prevalent in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are usually dark-colored and hard. They are sometimes difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes because they have similar hardness and colors. They also share a similar the cleavage. However, their chemistry allows for the use of a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different mineral groups in amphibole could be used to determine their composition.

Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five types of asbestos: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite) amosite (actinolite), and amosite. Each kind of asbestos has its own unique properties. The most harmful type of asbestos, crocidolite, is composed of sharp fibers that are simple to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite has a brownish to yellowish hue and is made primarily of magnesium and iron. This variety was once used in cement-based products and insulation materials.

Amphiboles can be difficult to study because of their complex chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special methods. The most commonly used methods of identifying amphiboles include EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques cannot differentiate between magnesio-hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. Additionally, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.