The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

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

It is difficult to tell by looking at a thing if it contains asbestos. Also, you cannot smell or taste it. It is only discovered when the asbestos-containing materials are chipped, drilled or broken.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile provided for 95% of the asbestos that was produced. It was utilized in a variety of industries such as construction, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma along with other asbestos-related illnesses. Thankfully, the use this toxic mineral has decreased dramatically since mesothelioma awareness began to spread in the 1960's. However, trace amounts of it remain in many of the products we use in the present.

Chrysotile can be safely used if a thorough safety and handling plan is put in place. Workers handling chrysotile are not exposed to a significant amount of risk based on the current controlled exposure levels. The inhalation of airborne fibres has been strongly associated with lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been confirmed both for intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure.

A study that looked at an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared mortality rates in this facility with national mortality rates. The study revealed that after 40 years of converting low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant rise in mortality rates in this factory.

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

It is very difficult for chrysotile fibers to be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are utilized in many areas of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has demonstrated that amphibole asbestos like amosite or crocidolite is less likely than chrysotile in causing diseases. These amphibole types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and various asbestos-related illnesses. When the cement and chrysotile are combined together, a strong and flexible product is created that is able to withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also very easy to clean up after use. Asbestos fibres can easily be removed by a professional and safely taken away.

Amosite

Asbestos is a grouping of fibrous silicates found in certain types rock formations. It consists of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite (IARC 1973).

asbestos litigation minerals are made up of thin, long fibres that vary in length from very thin to broad and straight to curled. They are found in nature in bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos is also found in powder form (talc) or combined with other minerals to form vermiculite or talcum powder. These are widely used as consumer goods, including baby powder, cosmetics and face powder.

The greatest asbestos use was during the early two-thirds of the 20th century where it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time period and geographic location.

The majority of asbestos lawsuit exposures that workers were exposed to was because of inhalation, but certain workers were exposed via skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is now only found in the the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degradation of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes, clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.

There is evidence emerging that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that don't form the tightly knit fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibres can be found in mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones of many countries.

Asbestos can be absorbed into the environment in a variety of ways, including as airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into water or Asbestos Attorney soil. This can be triggered by both natural (weathering of Asbestos Attorney-bearing rock) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is largely associated with natural weathering, but it has also been caused by human activities like milling and mining demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing materials and the disposal of contaminated dumping ground in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibers is the primary cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos at work.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most popular way people are exposed to dangerous fibres, which can then be inhaled and cause serious health issues. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibres can occur in other ways as well including contact with contaminated clothing or materials. The dangers of this kind of exposure are more pronounced when crocidolite, a asbestos' blue form is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and can get deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to a greater number of mesothelioma-related cancers than any other type of asbestos.

The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are the most frequently used types of asbestos and make up 95% of commercial asbestos currently used. The other four have not been as extensively used but they can be found in older buildings. They are not as dangerous as amosite or chrysotile, but they can still be a danger when combined with other minerals or when mined near other naturally occurring mineral deposits such as vermiculite and talc.

A number of studies have demonstrated an connection between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. The evidence isn't unanimous. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers. However, others have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95% confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those who work in chrysotile mines or chrysotile mills.

IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all kinds of asbestos carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma but the risk is different based on the amount of exposure, the type of asbestos is involved and how long the exposure lasts. IARC has declared that the best option for people is to avoid all types of asbestos. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from an illness, such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory illnesses, they should seek guidance from their doctor or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are groups of minerals that can create prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically possess a monoclinic crystal system however, some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains comprise (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together by tetrahedron rings made of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another by octahedral sites that are surrounded by strips.

Amphiboles occur in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark and hard. Due to their similarity in strength and color, they may be difficult for some to differentiate from the pyroxenes. They also share a similar cleavage pattern. However their chemistry allows many different compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures 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. Each variety of asbestos has its own unique properties. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is composed of magnesium and iron. This kind of stone was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are challenging to analyze because they have a complex chemical structures and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods of identifying amphiboles. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques cannot differentiate between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio hastingsite. Furthermore, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro hornblende and pargasite.