The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was found in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.

You cannot tell by just looking at something whether it's made of asbestos. It is also impossible to smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be detected when the material containing it is broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 99percent of the asbestos made. It was employed in many industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they could develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use of this toxic mineral has decreased significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to increase in the 1960's. However, trace amounts can still be found in the products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling program in place. Chrysotile handling workers aren't exposed to a significant amount of risk at current safe exposure levels. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma are all connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed both in terms of intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure.

One study that studied a facility that used nearly exclusively chrysotile in the production of friction materials, compared mortality rates in this factory with national death rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant increase in mortality at this factory.

Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other forms of asbestos. They are able to enter the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more prone to causing health effects than fibrils with a longer length.

It is very difficult for chrysotile fibres be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products have been extensively used all over the world particularly in buildings such as schools and hospitals.

Research has revealed that chrysotile is less prone to cause illness than amphibole asbestos like crocidolite and amosite. Amphibole asbestos kinds have been the main cause of mesothelioma and various asbestos legal [www.autogenmotors.Com]-related diseases. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it creates an extremely durable and flexible building product that can withstand harsh conditions in the weather and other environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a class of fibrous silicates that are found in various types of rock formations. It is comprised of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).

Asbestos minerals are composed of long, thin fibres that range in length from very fine to wide and straight to curled. These fibers are 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 vermiculite and talcum powder which are widely used in consumer products such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder, and baby powder.

Asbestos was heavily used in the early two-thirds of the 20th century for construction of ships insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-containing exposures to the workplace occurred in the air, but certain workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied from industry to industry, from era to, and geographical location.

The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos were due to inhalation. However, some workers were also exposed by skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos can be found in the natural environment due to natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products like ceiling and floor tiles, car brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.

There is evidence to suggest that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. They are not tightly knit like the fibrils found in serpentine and amphibole, but are instead loose, flexible, and needle-like. These fibres can be found in the cliffs, mountains and sandstones of many countries.

Asbestos can enter the environment in a variety ways, such as in airborne particles. It can also be released into soil or water. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in ground and surface water is mostly caused by natural weathering. However it can also be caused anthropogenically, such as through the mining and milling of asbestos attorney-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is still the primary cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos at work.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most commonly used method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lung, causing serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other diseases are caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to the fibres can be triggered in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. This kind of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers, which are easier to breathe and can be lodged deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to a higher number of mesothelioma related cases than any other type of asbestos.

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

Numerous studies have revealed 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% range of CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% 95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC The IARC, also known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all kinds of asbestos as 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 the length of time that exposure lasts. IARC has declared that the best choice for people is to stay clear of all forms of asbestos. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from a condition such as mesothelioma or other respiratory ailments, they should seek guidance from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals that can form needle-like or prism-like crystals. They are a kind of inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic structure of crystals, but certain crystals have an orthorhombic form. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are made up of (Si,Al)O4 tetrahedrons that are linked in rings of six. Tetrahedrons are distinguished from one another by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphiboles can be found in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are usually dark-colored and hard. They can be difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and color. They also share a similar pattern of cleavage. However their chemistry allows an array of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various mineral groups in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.

The five types of asbestos in the amphibole class include amosite, anthophyllite and chrysotile, crocidolite, and actinolite. While the most popular asbestos type is chrysotile, each variety has its own distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos type. It is composed of sharp fibers that are easily inhaled into the lungs. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish hue and is comprised primarily of magnesium and iron. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are challenging to analyze because they have an intricate chemical structure and many substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most common methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also cannot differentiate between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.