The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was found in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. According to research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and a host of other health issues.

You cannot tell if something includes asbestos simply by looking at it and you cannot smell or taste it. It is only found when asbestos-containing materials are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up for 90% of the asbestos produced. It was used in many industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos litigation, they could develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use this dangerous mineral has decreased significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to grow in the 1960's. It is still found in a variety of products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use in the event that you have a complete safety and handling program in place. It has been proven that at the present exposure levels, there isn't an unneeded risk to the people handling it. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed in terms of intensity (dose) as well as the duration of exposure.

One study that examined the operation of a factory that utilized almost exclusively chrysotile for manufacturing friction materials compared mortality rates in this facility with national mortality rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of converting low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality at this factory.

Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other types of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more likely to cause health effects than longer fibres.

When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, asbestos claim it's extremely difficult for the fibres to become airborne and pose health risks. Fibre cement products are widely used in many parts of the world including hospitals and schools.

Research has shown that amphibole asbestos, such as amosite, crocidolite, or crocidolite, is less likely than chrysotile in causing disease. These amphibole types are the main cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile mixes with cement, it forms a tough, flexible building product that can withstand the most extreme weather conditions and other environmental dangers. It is also very easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely eliminate asbestos fibres when they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos refers to a set of silicate minerals with fibrous structure that are found naturally in specific kinds of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite (IARC, 1973).

Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibres that vary in length from extremely thin to broad and straight to curled. These fibres can be found in nature in bundles or as individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals can be found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite and are used in consumer products like baby powder cosmetics, face powder, and baby powder.

The largest use of asbestos was in the first two-thirds of twentieth century where it was used in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied from industry industry, era to era and even geographical location.

Exposure to asbestos claim (thewrightbeef.com) in the workplace is mainly caused by inhalation. However there are workers who have been exposed via skin contact or by eating food items contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos can be found in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degradation of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes, clutches as well as ceiling and floor tiles.

There is growing evidence that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These are the fibres that do not form the tightly knit fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals, but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibers are found in mountains, sandstones and cliffs of a variety of countries.

Asbestos can be found in the environment in the form of airborne particles, however it can also leach into water and soil. This happens both through natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic (disintegration and removal of asbestos-containing wastes from landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is mostly caused by natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by human activity, for instance through mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated waste in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is the most common cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most common way people are exposed to the harmful fibres. They can then get into the lungs and cause serious health problems. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to fibers can occur in other ways as well including contact with contaminated clothing or construction materials. This kind of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are softer and less brittle which makes them more difficult to breathe in. They can also 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 major types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite and actinolite. The most popular asbestos types are chrysotile and epoxiemite, which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos used. The other four have not been as widely utilized however they can be found in older buildings. They aren't as hazardous as amosite or chrysotile but still pose a threat when mixed with other minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, such as vermiculite and talc.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence isn't conclusive. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos, while others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent 95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all kinds of asbestos carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos may cause mesothelioma as well as other health problems, but the risks vary according to the amount of exposure people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos used as well as the duration of exposure and the method by the way it is inhaled or ingested. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types is the most important thing to do because this is the safest option for people. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from an illness such as mesothelioma or other respiratory ailments They should seek advice from their doctor or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals that can form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They typically have a monoclinic structure in their crystals but some also have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains consist of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated by octahedral strips.

Amphibole minerals can be found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark and hard. They can be difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes as they share similar hardness and color. They also have a comparable Cleavage. However their chemistry permits an array of compositions. The various amphibole mineral groups are identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.

Amphibole asbestos is comprised of chrysotile as well as the five asbestos types: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. Each type of asbestos has distinct characteristics. The most dangerous form of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are simple to breathe into the lungs. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color and is made up of iron and magnesium. This type of stone was once used in cement-based products and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are difficult to study because of their an intricate chemical structure and a variety of substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires special methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.