The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos was used in thousands commercial products. Research shows that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health problems.

It is impossible to determine if a product is asbestos-containing simply by looking at it and you can't smell or taste it. It can only be found when materials containing asbestos are chipped, drilled or broken.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile comprised the majority of the asbestos production. It was used in many industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma along with other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to increase in the 1960's. However, trace amounts remain in many of the products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use if you have a comprehensive safety and handling program in place. It has been determined that at the present exposure levels, there isn't an unneeded risk to the people handling it. The inhalation of airborne fibres has been found to be strongly linked with lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been proven for the intensity (dose) as well as the duration of exposure.

In one study, mortality rates were compared between a facility that used a large proportion of chlorosotile to make friction materials and the national death rate. It was found that for the 40 years of processing chrysotile saratoga springs asbestos attorney at low levels of exposure there was no significant extra mortality in the factory.

Chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter than other types of asbestos. They can enter the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause health effects than fibrils with a longer length.

When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it's extremely difficult for the fibres to breathe and pose health risks. Fibre cement products have been extensively used throughout the world particularly in buildings like hospitals and schools.

Research has shown that chrysotile's risk is lower to cause illness than amphibole asbestos, like amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole types are the primary cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile mixes with cement, it creates a tough, flexible building product that can withstand extreme conditions in the weather and 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 is one of the groups of fibrous silicates found in certain types of rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: serpentine, amphibole as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

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

Asbestos was used extensively in the first two thirds of the 20th century for shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing, and various other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed toxic talc or vermiculite as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied by the industry, time frame and geographic location.

The exposure to asbestos at work is mostly due to inhalation. However, some workers have been exposed through skin contact or by eating food items contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is now only found in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined ore and the degradation of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes, clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.

There is evidence to suggest that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These fibres are not tightly weaved like the fibrils in amphibole and serpentine but are instead loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibres are found in the mountains and cliffs in a variety of countries.

Asbestos can be found in the environment in the form of airborne particles, however it can also be absorbed into soil and water. This is caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and Vimeo disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is typically a result of natural weathering, however it has also been caused by anthropogenic activities like mining and milling, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres is the most common cause of illness for people exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most commonly used method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can enter the lungs which can cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other illnesses are caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to the fibres can be experienced in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. The risks of exposure are heightened when crocidolite, a conover asbestos' blue form, is involved. Crocidolite fibers are thinner and more fragile which makes them more difficult to breathe in. They also can get deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma-related cases than other types of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. The most common forms of asbestos are epoxiemite as well as chrysotile which together comprise the majority of commercial asbestos used. The other four forms haven't been as popularly used, but they may still be present in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite and chrysotile, but they could pose a threat when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as vermiculite or talc.

Numerous studies have shown that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent of the time CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos, while others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% of the CI = 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma or other health problems, but the risks are different based on how much exposure people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure, and the manner in which it is breathed in or consumed. The IARC has recommended that the prevention of all asbestos types is the best option as it is the safest option for those who are exposed. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from respiratory issues or mesothelioma condition, then you should see your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles comprise a variety of minerals which can form needle-like or prism-like crystals. They are an inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, however some exhibit an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together by tetrahedron rings made of six. The tetrahedrons are separated by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphibole minerals are prevalent in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are usually dark and hard. They can be difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and color. They also share a corresponding the cleavage pattern. Their chemistry allows a wide variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various minerals in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.

Amphibole asbestos is comprised of chrysotile as well as the five asbestos types: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite) amosite (actinolite) and amosite. While the most popular asbestos type is chrysotile; each has its own distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is among the most dangerous asbestos type. It is made up of sharp fibers that can easily be breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite ranges from brown to yellowish in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. This type of stone was once used in cement-based products and insulation materials.

Amphiboles are difficult to analyze due to their complicated chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of composition of amphibole minerals is a complex process that requires specialized methods. EDS, Vimeo WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for example can't distinguish between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also cannot distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.