The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

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

It is impossible to determine if a product contains asbestos simply by looking at it and you are unable to smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be identified when the material containing it is broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile provided for 95% of the asbestos made. It was widely used in industries like construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma became a problem asbestos use has been drastically reduced. However, it is still present in trace amounts. can still be found in the products we use today.

Chrysotile can be safely used with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put into place. People who handle chrysotile do not at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk at the present safe exposure levels. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have been strongly associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for the intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure.

In one study mortality rates were compared between a facility that primarily used Chrysotile for the production of friction materials and national death rates. It was found that for 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile in low levels of exposure there was no significant increase in mortality in this particular factory.

As opposed to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be shorter. They can pass through the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues than longer fibres.

When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it is very difficult for the fibres to be airborne and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products have been used extensively throughout the world particularly in buildings such as schools and hospitals.

Research has revealed that chrysotile is less prone to cause illness than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. Amphibole asbestos types have been the most common source of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it creates a strong, flexible construction product that can withstand the most extreme conditions in the weather and other environmental dangers. It is also very easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibres are easily removed by a professional, and then disposed of.

Amosite

Asbestos is a category of silicate mineral fibrous that occur naturally in certain kinds of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).

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

The heaviest use of asbestos was in the first two-thirds of 20th century in the period when it was employed in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were asbestos fibres that were borne in the air, but some workers were exposed to toxic talc or vermiculite as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, era to and geographic location.

The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mainly because of inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed via skin contact or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos is now only found in the air due to the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degrading of contaminated materials like insulation, car brakes and clutches and ceiling and floor tiles.

There is emerging evidence that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These are the fibres that do not have the tight woven fibrils of the serpentine and amphibole minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibres can be found in the cliffs, mountains and sandstones in a variety of countries.

Asbestos is absorbed into the environment mostly in the form of airborne particles, however it also leaches into water and soil. This occurs both from natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by anthropogeny, such as through the mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos in their work.

Crocidolite

Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most frequent way people are exposed harmful fibres. They can then enter the lungs and cause serious health issues. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. Exposure to the fibres can also take place in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The risks of exposure are higher when crocidolite which is the asbestos' blue form is involved. Crocidolite fibers are softer and less brittle, making them easier to breathe. They can also be lodged deeper within lung tissues. 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. The most popular forms of asbestos are chrysotile and epoxiemite, which together make up the majority of commercial asbestos employed. The other four types of asbestos haven't been as widely utilized but they can be present in older buildings. They are less dangerous than chrysotile and amosite, but they could be a risk when mixed with other asbestos minerals or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.

Several studies have found an connection between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. A number of studies have confirmed that asbestos lawyer (dig this) exposure is linked to stomach. The evidence is not conclusive. Certain researchers have reported an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers working in chrysotile mining and asbestos lawyer mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma or other health problems, but the risks are different based on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos used and the duration of their exposure and the way in which it is inhaled or ingested. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types is the most important thing to do, as this is the safest option for individuals. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from an illness, such as mesothelioma and other respiratory diseases and require advice, they should seek out guidance from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphibole belongs to a group of minerals that form long prisms or needlelike crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral that is composed of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically have a monoclinic crystal system, although some 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 are separated by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphibole minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark-colored and tough. Due to their similarity in hardness and colour, they can be difficult for some to distinguish from pyroxenes. They also share a similar cleavage pattern. Their chemistry allows for a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various mineral groups in amphibole could be used to identify them.

The five types of asbestos in the amphibole family include amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, and actinolite. The most widely used form of asbestos is chrysotile each type has distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos kind. It has sharp fibers that can easily be inhaled into the lungs. Anthophyllite comes in a brownish-to yellowish hue and is made mostly of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in products such as cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are challenging to analyze because they have complex chemical structures and numerous substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most widely used methods for asbestos lawyer identifying amphiboles. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for example can't distinguish between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.