The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

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

It is not possible to tell by simply looking at something if it contains asbestos. Also, you cannot smell or taste it. Asbestos is only detectable when the material containing it is broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile provided for 99percent of the asbestos that was produced. It was utilized in a variety of industries including construction insulation, fireproofing, as well as insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related illnesses. Fortunately, the use of this toxic mineral has decreased drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to grow in the 1960's. It is still found in many of the products we use today.

Chrysotile can be used in a safe manner in the event that a thorough safety and handling plan is put in place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't exposed to a significant amount of risk at the current limits of exposure. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma are all linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for both the intensity (dose) and duration of exposure.

A study that looked at the operation of a factory that utilized almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials, compared the mortality rates of this factory with 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.

Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs, and even enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems than fibres with longer lengths.

When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it's extremely difficult for the fibres to become airborne and pose any health risks. Fibre cement products are extensively utilized in many areas of the world including hospitals and schools.

Research has shown that amphibole asbestos such as crocidolite or amosite is less likely than chrysotile in causing disease. Amphibole asbestos types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it creates a tough, flexible building product that can withstand the most extreme conditions in the weather and other environmental dangers. It is also very easy to clean up after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a class of fibrous silicates that are found in a variety of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).

Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibers that vary in length from fine to broad. They can also be curled or straight. They can be found in nature as bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos is also found in a powder form (talc) or combined with other minerals to create vermiculite or talcum powder. They are extensively used in consumer products, like baby powder, cosmetics and facial powder.

Asbestos was heavily used in the first two thirds of the 20th century to construct construction of ships as well as insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos exposures for work occurred in the air, however certain workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rocks and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied by industry, time period and geographical location.

The exposure to asbestos at work is mostly because of inhalation. However, some workers have been exposed through skin contact or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos is currently only found in the the natural weathering of mined minerals and asbestos attorney the deterioration of products contaminated with asbestos like insulation, car brakes, clutches, as well as floor and ceiling tiles.

It is becoming evident that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These are the fibres that do not 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 in a variety of countries.

Asbestos can enter the environment in a variety of ways, including in the form of airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into soil or water. This can be due to both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in ground and surface water is mostly caused by natural weathering. However it can also be caused anthropogenically, such as through milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant cause of disease among those exposed to it in their occupation.

Crocidolite

Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most frequent way people are exposed to the harmful fibres. They can then enter the lungs and cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other diseases are all caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos can happen in a variety of ways including contact with contaminated clothing or materials. The dangers of this kind of exposure are heightened when crocidolite, the asbestos in the blue form is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe and can be lodged deeper in lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other asbestos types.

The six major types are chrysotile as well as amosite. The most popular forms of asbestos are chrysotile and epoxiemite, which together make up the majority of commercial Asbestos Attorney employed. The other four asbestos types are not as common, but may still be found in older structures. They aren't as hazardous as amosite or chrysotile but still be dangerous when combined with other minerals or when mined near other naturally occurring mineral deposits like talc and vermiculite.

Numerous studies have revealed an association between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However the evidence is not conclusive. Certain researchers have cited an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, and others have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95% confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in chrysotile mills and mines.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos lawyer can cause mesothelioma as well as other health problems, but the risks vary according to how much exposure individuals are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure and the way in the way that it is breathed in or consumed. The IARC has recommended that the prevention of all asbestos types should be the highest priority as it is the best option for those who are exposed. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from an illness such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory illnesses, they should seek guidance from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are groups of minerals that can form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They typically have a monoclinic crystal structure, although 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 linked together by tetrahedron rings made of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated from each other with octahedral strips.

Amphiboles are present in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are usually dark and hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes due to their similar hardness and colors. They also have a similar the cleavage. However their chemistry permits the use of a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the different minerals in amphibole can be used to identify them.

The five asbestos types in the amphibole family include chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite, crocidolite, and actinolite. Each type of asbestos has distinct characteristics. The most hazardous type of asbestos, crocidolite is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish hue and is comprised mostly of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in cement-based products and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze because they have a an intricate chemical structure and a variety of substitutions. A detailed analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special methods. The most popular methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. For instance, these methods can't distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. Moreover, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.