The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was found in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. According to research, asbestos exposure can cause cancer as well as other health problems.

You cannot tell by just looking at something whether it is made of asbestos. You cannot smell or asbestos taste it. Asbestos can only be detected when the substances that contain it are broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up 99% of the asbestos produced. It was employed in many industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. Unfortunately, if workers were exposed to this harmful material, they could 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 many products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use if a thorough safety and handling plan is put in place. It has been determined that, at the present controlled exposure levels, there isn't an undue risk to the workers who handle the substance. Inhaling airborne fibres is strongly linked to lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been confirmed for intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.

One study that studied a facility that used nearly exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials, compared mortality rates in this factory with national mortality rates. It was discovered that, for the 40 years of processing chrysotile asbestos at low levels of exposure There was no significant excess mortality in this factory.

In contrast to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be smaller. They are able to enter the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues than longer fibres.

When chrysotile mixes with cement, it's very difficult for the fibres to breathe and cause health hazards. Fibre cement products are extensively utilized in many areas of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has proven that chrysotile is less likely to cause illness than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole types are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it forms a strong, flexible building product that can withstand extreme conditions in the weather and other environmental hazards. It is also very easy to clean up after use. Asbestos fibres can easily be removed by a professional and removed.

Amosite

Asbestos refers to a set of fibrous silicate minerals that are found naturally in specific kinds of rock formations. It is classified into six groups including amphibole (serpentine), the tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that range in length from fine to broad. They can be curled or straight. They can be found in nature in bundles, or as individual fibrils. Asbestos can also be found in powder form (talc) or combined with other minerals to create talcum powder or vermiculite. These are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder, cosmetics and facial powder.

Asbestos was extensively used in the first two thirds of the 20th century for shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were to airborne asbestos fibres, but some workers were exposed to toxic talc or vermiculite and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied by the industry, time frame and geographical location.

Exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mostly because of inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed via skin contact or eating contaminated foods. Asbestos is only found in the environment because of natural weathering and degrading of contaminated materials like ceiling and floor tiles, car brakes and clutches, and insulation.

There is growing evidence that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that do not have the tight weaved fibrils of amphibole and serpentine minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers are found in the mountains and cliffs of several countries.

Asbestos enters the environment mainly in the form of airborne particles, however it can also leach into soil and water. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is mostly due to natural weathering, but it has also been triggered by anthropogenic activities such as mining and milling, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres remains the main cause of illness for people exposed to it occupationally.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most popular way people are exposed to harmful fibres. They can then be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other illnesses are caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibers can be experienced in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The risks of exposure are heightened when crocidolite, a blue form of asbestos is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are more easy to inhale and can lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other asbestos types.

The main types are chrysotile and amosite. The most well-known forms of asbestos are epoxiemite and chrysotile which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos case employed. The other four asbestos types are not as common, but may still be found in older structures. They are less dangerous than amosite and chrysotile, but they can pose 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 association between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. However the evidence isn't conclusive. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers and others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% 95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for those who work in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC The IARC, also known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, but the risk is different based on the amount of exposure is taken, what type of asbestos is involved and the length of time that exposure lasts. IARC has stated that the best choice for people is to avoid all types of asbestos. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma, or other respiratory ailments it is recommended that they seek advice from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphibole belongs to a group of minerals that form long prism or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, but some have an orthorhombic shape. 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 are separated one another with octahedral strips.

Amphibole minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark-colored and are hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes due to their similar hardness and colors. They also have a similar cleavage. However their chemistry allows an array of compositions. The various amphibole mineral groups are identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.

The five types of asbestos belonging to the amphibole family are chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. While the most commonly used form of asbestos is chrysotile. Each variety has its own distinct characteristics. The most hazardous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is composed of sharp fibers that are simple to inhale into the lung. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color asbestos and is made up of iron and magnesium. This kind of stone was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals can be difficult to analyze due to their a complicated chemical structure and many substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires special methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques also don't distinguish between ferro-hornblende and.