The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos Attorney was still used in a variety of commercial products. According to research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and a host of other health problems.

It is impossible to determine if a product is asbestos-containing simply by looking at it and you are unable to taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detected when the material containing it is broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At the height of its use, chrysotile made up 99% of the asbestos production. It was widely used in industries including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. However, if workers were exposed to this toxic material, they may develop mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma was first becoming an issue the use of asbestos has been drastically reduced. However, trace amounts remain in many of the products we use today.

Chrysotile can be used safely with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put into place. People who handle chrysotile do not at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk at the current controlled exposure levels. Inhaling airborne fibres has been strongly associated with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been proven both for the intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.

In one study mortality rates were compared between a factory that primarily used Chrysotile for the production 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 at this factory.

As opposed to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter. They are able to enter the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health issues than fibres with longer lengths.

When chrysotile mixes with cement, it's extremely difficult for the fibres to be airborne and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products have been extensively used across the globe particularly in buildings like hospitals and schools.

Research has revealed that amphibole asbestos claim like amosite, crocidolite, or crocidolite, is less likely to cause disease. Amphibole types like these are the main cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it creates a tough, flexible building product that can withstand the most extreme weather conditions and other environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean up after use. Asbestos fibres are easily removed by a professional and disposed of.

Amosite

Asbestos refers to a group of silicate minerals with fibrous structure that occur naturally in certain types of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that range in length from fine to wide. They can also be straight or curled. They are found in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends called fibril matrix. Asbestos is also found in powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals in order to create vermiculite or talcum powder. These are commonly used in 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 where it was used in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-containing exposures to the workplace were in the air, however some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rocks and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied by the type of industry, the time period and geographic location.

Exposure to asbestos at work is mostly due to inhalation. However, some workers have been exposed via skin contact or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos is found in the air due to natural weathering and degradation of contaminated products, such as ceiling and floor tiles automobile brakes and clutches as well as insulation.

It is becoming evident that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't weaved like the fibrils that are found in amphibole or serpentine, but are instead loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibers are found in the mountains, sandstones, and cliffs of a variety of countries.

asbestos lawyer can enter the environment in many ways, including through airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into water or soil. This happens both through natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes at landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in surface and ground waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However, it has also been caused anthropogenically, such as through mining and milling 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 main cause of illness in people exposed to it in their occupation.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most common way people are exposed to the dangerous fibres, which can then enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other diseases are all caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibers can also take place in other ways, including contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This kind of exposure is more dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are easy to breathe in and may lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to a greater number of mesothelioma-related cancers than any other form of asbestos.

The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are the most commonly used forms of asbestos. They comprise 95% of commercial asbestos in use. The other four asbestos types are not as widespread, but they can still be present in older structures. They are not as dangerous as amosite or chrysotile but still be a risk when combined with other minerals or when mined near other naturally occurring mineral deposits like talc and asbestos attorney vermiculite.

Numerous studies have revealed that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have cited a SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, and others report an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for workers in mines and chrysotile mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma or other health problems, but the risks are different based on the amount of exposure individuals are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved as well as the duration of exposure, and the manner in which it is inhaled or ingested. IARC has stated that the best choice for individuals is to stay clear of all forms of asbestos. If you've been exposed to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory illness or mesothelioma then you should see your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a collection of minerals which can form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They typically have a monoclinic crystal system however some may have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are made up of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons are separated one another by octahedral sites that are surrounded by strips.

Amphiboles occur in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark and hard. Due to their similarity in hardness and color, they could be difficult for some people to differentiate from the pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding cut. However, their chemistry allows for an array of compositions. The various minerals within amphibole can be identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.

Amphibole asbestos includes chrysotile and the five asbestos types: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite) and amosite. While the most commonly used form of asbestos is chrysotile each type has its own unique characteristics. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos type. It is composed of sharp fibers that can easily be inhaled into the lungs. Anthophyllite is a brownish to yellowish hue and is made mostly of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in products like cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze due to their a complicated chemical structure and many substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires special methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods of identifying amphiboles. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques cannot distinguish between magnesiohastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. These techniques also cannot differentiate between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.