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 and many other health issues.
It is impossible to tell just by looking at something if it's made of asbestos. It is also impossible to smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be identified when the material containing it is broken or drilled.
Chrysotile
At the height of its use, chrysotile made up 99% of the asbestos produced. It was used by many industries such as construction, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma along with other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use this dangerous mineral has decreased significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to increase in the 1960's. However, trace amounts of it can still be found in many of the products we use in the present.
Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling program in place. It has been proven that, at today's controlled exposure levels, there isn't an danger to those handling the substance. The inhalation of airborne particles has been found to be strongly linked with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been proven for both the intensity (dose) and time of exposure.
In one study mortality rates were compared between a facility which used largely chrysotile in the manufacture of friction materials and national death rates. The study found that after 40 years of processing at low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality rates at this facility.
Contrary to other types of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter. They can enter the lungs and enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health issues than fibres that are longer.
It is very difficult for chrysotile fibres be a threat to the air or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are extensively used all over the world particularly in structures like hospitals and schools.
Research has shown that chrysotile is less prone to cause illness than amphibole asbestos, such as amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole types are the primary source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When the cement and chrysotile are combined together, a strong, flexible product is created that is able to withstand extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also very easy to clean up after use. Professionals can safely eliminate asbestos fibres when they have been removed.
Amosite
Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicate minerals that occur naturally in certain types of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC 1973).
Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibres that range in length from extremely fine to wide and straight to curled. These fibers are found in nature as individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends referred to as a fibril matrix. Asbestos can also be found in a powder form (talc), or combined with other minerals to form talcum powder or vermiculite. These are widely used as consumer products, such as baby powder, cosmetics and face powder.
The largest use of asbestos was in the early two-thirds of the twentieth century in the period when it was employed in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-containing exposures to the workplace were in the air, but some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied according to industry, time and geographical location.
Most asbestos exposures that workers were exposed to was because of inhalation, but some workers were also exposed through contact with skin or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos can only be found in the air due to natural weathering and degrading of contaminated materials, such as ceiling and floor tiles as well as car brakes and clutches, and insulation.
There is evidence to suggest that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These fibres are not tightly weaved like the fibrils that are found in amphibole and serpentine, but are instead loose, flexible, and needle-like. These fibers are found in the mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones of many countries.
Asbestos gets into the environment primarily 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 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 disposal of contaminated dumping materials in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres is the most common cause of illness in people exposed to it occupationally.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure is the most commonly used method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lungs and cause serious health problems. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. The exposure to asbestos can happen in different ways too including contact with contaminated clothing, or building materials. This type of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and may lodge deeper in lung tissue. fort wayne asbestos attorney has been linked to a larger number of mesothelioma-related cancers than any other type of asbestos.
The six major types are chrysotile and amosite. Chrysotile and amosite are among the most commonly used types of asbestos and make up 95% of commercial asbestos in use. The other four forms haven't been as extensively used however they can be found in older buildings. They are not as hazardous as amosite and chrysotile, but they could pose a threat when combined with other asbestos minerals or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite.
Many studies have discovered an connection between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. Several studies have found a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. The evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% 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 carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma as well as other health problems, but the risks differ based on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos used as well as the duration of exposure and the method by which it is breathed in or consumed. IARC has stated that the best choice for individuals is to stay clear of all types of asbestos. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma or other respiratory conditions They should seek advice from their doctor or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles comprise a variety of minerals that can form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a kind of inosilicate mineral that is composed of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically have a monoclinic crystal structure however, some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in a ring of six tetrahedrons. Tetrahedrons are distinguished from each other with octahedral strips.
Amphiboles are present in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark and hard. Due to their similarity in strength and color, they can be difficult for some to distinguish from pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding cut. Their chemistry permits a wide range of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the different minerals in amphibole can be used to identify them.
Amphibole asbestos is comprised of chrysotile as well as the five types of asbestos: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. The most widely used form of asbestos is chrysotile. Each variety has its own distinct characteristics. The most dangerous form of asbestos, crocidolite is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lung. Anthophyllite can range from yellow to brown in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles are a challenge to analyze due to their complicated chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. The most popular methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.