The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

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

It is difficult to tell by taking a look at something if it is made up of asbestos. Neither can you taste or smell it. Asbestos can only be detected when the materials that contain it are broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 95% of the asbestos created. It was employed in many industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. However, if workers were exposed to this harmful material, they may develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Thankfully, the use this harmful mineral has diminished dramatically since mesothelioma awareness began to spread in the 1960's. It is still present in a variety of products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use if you have a comprehensive safety and handling program in place. It has been discovered that at the current controlled exposure levels, there is no undue risk to the workers working with the substance. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma are all associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven both in terms of intensity (dose) as well as the duration of exposure.

One study that looked into a facility that used nearly exclusively chrysotile in the production of friction materials, compared the mortality rates of this factory with national death rates. The study revealed that after 40 years of processing at low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant rise in mortality rates in this factory.

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

When chrysotile mixes with cement, it's extremely difficult for the fibres to be airborne and cause health hazards. Fibre cement products are extensively used in many parts of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has shown that amphibole asbestos, such as crocidolite or amosite is less likely to cause diseases. These amphibole types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When the cement and chrysotile are combined with cement, a tough product is produced that can withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also very easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicates found in a variety of rock formations. It is comprised of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

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

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

Most of the asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were due to inhalation. However, some workers were also exposed through skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is now only found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined ore and deterioration of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes, clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that do not form the tightly interwoven fibrils that are found in the serpentine and amphibole minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibres can be found in cliffs, mountains and sandstones in a variety of countries.

Asbestos is absorbed into the environment mostly as airborne particles, but it can also leach into water and soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos compensation-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos Attorney contamination of surface and ground water is mostly due to natural weathering, but has also been caused by anthropogenic activities such as mining and milling demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping soils in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is still the primary reason for illness among those exposed to it occupationally.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most popular method of exposure to asbestos fibres. The fibres can penetrate the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis and other illnesses are caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos can happen in different ways too like contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The dangers of this kind of exposure are greater when crocidolite, a asbestos that is blue is involved. Crocidolite has smaller, more fragile fibers, which are easier to breathe in and may lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other types of asbestos.

The main kinds are chrysotile and asbestos attorney amosite. The most commonly used forms of asbestos are epoxiemite and chrysotile, which together make up the majority of commercial asbestos used. The other four have not been as widely used however they can be present in older buildings. They are less harmful than chrysotile and amosite, but they could be a risk when combined with other asbestos minerals, or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as vermiculite or talc.

Numerous studies have revealed an connection between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. Several studies have found a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. However there is no conclusive evidence. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma however, the risk is dependent on how much exposure, what kind of asbestos is involved, and how long the exposure lasts. IARC has declared that the best choice for individuals is to stay clear of all forms of asbestos. If someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from a disease such as mesothelioma or other respiratory diseases and require advice, they should seek out guidance from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are groups of minerals which can form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral composed of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic structure of crystals, but 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 in a ring of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons can be separated from each other by octahedral sites that are surrounded by strips.

Amphibole minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark and hard. They can be difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and colors. They also share a similar design of cleavage. However their chemistry permits many different compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different minerals in amphibole can be used to identify them.

The five types of asbestos belonging to the amphibole family are amosite, anthophyllite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. While the most popular form of asbestos is chrysotile. Each variety has distinct characteristics. The most dangerous form of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are simple to inhale into the lung. Anthophyllite has a brownish to yellowish hue and is comprised mostly of iron and magnesium. This kind of stone was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals can be difficult to study because of their an intricate chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A detailed analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most common methods of identifying amphiboles. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. For instance, they can't distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. Moreover, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.