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 problems.

It is impossible to determine if a product contains asbestos simply by looking at it and you cannot taste or smell it. It is only visible when the asbestos-containing materials are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile comprised up 99% of asbestos production. It was used in many industries including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. In the event that workers were exposed to this toxic substance, they could develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Thankfully, the use this toxic mineral has decreased drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to grow in the 1960's. It is still present in many products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling program in place. It has been discovered that at the current controlled exposure levels, there is no danger to the people who handle the substance. The inhalation of airborne fibres is strongly linked to lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been proven both for the intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure.

One study that studied a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile for manufacturing friction materials, compared mortality rates at this factory with national death rates. It was found that, for 40 years of preparing chrysotile asbestos at low levels of exposure there was no signifi cant increase in mortality in this particular factory.

In contrast to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter. They can penetrate the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems than fibres that are longer.

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

Research has shown that chrysotile is less likely to cause illness than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. Amphibole taunton asbestos lawyer types have been the most common source of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is mixed in with cement, it forms a tough, flexible building product that is able to withstand severe weather conditions and Harriman asbestos other environmental hazards. It is also very easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos refers to a group of silicate mineral fibrous that are found naturally in specific types of rock formations. It is classified into six groups which include amphibole (serpentine) and the tremolite (tremolite) anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos minerals consist of thin, long fibers that vary in length, ranging from very thin to broad and straight to curled. These fibers are found in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles with splaying edges called a fibril matrix. Asbestos can also be found in a powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals to make talcum powder or vermiculite. They are extensively used as consumer products, such as baby powder, cosmetics, and face powder.

The most extensive use of asbestos was in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century in the period when it was employed in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos fibres occurred in the air, but certain workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied according to the industry, time frame, and geographic location.

Asbestos exposure in the workplace is mainly caused by inhalation. However there are workers who have been exposed by contact with their skin or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos can only be found in the environment because of natural weathering and degrading of contaminated materials, such as ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.

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

Asbestos enters the environment mainly in the form of airborne particles, however it can also leach into soil and water. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is typically a result of natural weathering. However, it has also been triggered by anthropogenic activities such as milling and mining, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials as well as the disposal of contaminated dumping ground in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the main reason for illness among those exposed to it in their job.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most common method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lungs which can cause serious health issues. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos fibres can occur in other ways as well like contact with contaminated clothing or construction materials. The risks of exposure are higher when crocidolite which is the wiggins asbestos lawyer in the blue form, is involved. Crocidolite fibers are thinner and more fragile which makes them more difficult to breathe. They also can get deeper within lung tissue. It has been associated with a higher number of mesothelioma-related cancers than any other type of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite as well as epoxiemite. Tremolite is anthophyllite, and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are the most commonly used types of asbestos, and comprise 95% of all commercial asbestos that is used. The other four Northfield asbestos Lawyer types are not as common, but may still be found in older structures. They are less dangerous than amosite and chrysotile, but they could be a risk when mixed with other asbestos minerals or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite.

Numerous studies have shown an association between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. Certain researchers have cited an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent 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 who work in chrysotile mills and mines.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All types of asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other health issues, but the risks are different 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 manner in which it is inhaled or consumed. The IARC has recommended that abstaining from all asbestos forms is the most important thing to do since this is the most secure option for people. If someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from a condition such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory diseases it is recommended that they seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphibole is one of the minerals that form long prisms or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They are 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 consist of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons that are joined in rings of six. Tetrahedrons can be separated by strips of octahedral site.

Amphiboles can be found in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are usually dark-colored and hard. Due to their similarity in strength and colour, they can be difficult for some people to differentiate from pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding pattern of cleavage. However their chemistry permits the use of a variety of compositions. The various mineral groups in amphibole can be identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.

The five asbestos types in the amphibole class include amosite, anthophyllite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. Each variety of asbestos has its own distinct properties. The most dangerous form of asbestos, crocidolite is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lung. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphiboles are difficult to analyze due to their complicated chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most widely used methods for identifying amphiboles. However, these methods only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance cannot differentiate between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro hornblende and pargasite.