The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned, asbestos was used in a myriad of commercial products. Research has shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health issues.

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

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up 99% of the asbestos production. It was employed in many industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing, as well as insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they may develop mesothelioma along with other asbestos-related illnesses. Fortunately, the use this hazardous mineral has declined significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to spread in the 1960's. However, traces of it remain in products that we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use provided you have a comprehensive safety and handling plan in place. It has been proven that, at the present controlled exposure levels, there isn't an unneeded risk to the people who handle it. The inhalation of airborne fibres has been strongly associated with lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been confirmed for both intensity (dose) and duration of exposure.

One study that looked into a factory that used almost all chrysotile as its friction materials, compared the mortality rates of this factory with national death rates. It was concluded that for 40 years of preparing Asbestos attorney chrysotile at low levels of exposure there was no significant extra mortality in the factory.

Contrary to other types of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be shorter. They are able to penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems over longer fibres.

When chrysotile mixes with cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to become airborne and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products have been extensively used all over the world particularly in buildings such as schools and hospitals.

Studies have shown that chrysotile is less likely to cause disease than amphibole asbestos like crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole types have been the most common source of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile are mixed, a durable and flexible material is created that is able to withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also easy to clean up after use. Professionals can safely eliminate asbestos fibres when they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a grouping of fibrous silicates that are found in certain types of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that vary in length from extremely thin to broad and straight to curled. These fibres can be found in nature as bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos can also be found in powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals in order to create vermiculite or talcum powder. These are commonly used as consumer goods, including baby powder, cosmetics and face powder.

The most extensive asbestos use occurred during the early two-thirds of the 20th century where it was used in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-containing exposures to the workplace were in the air, but some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied from industry industry, era era and even geographical location.

asbestos case exposure in the workplace is mostly caused by inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed by contact with their skin or by eating food items contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is found in the natural environment due to natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products, such as ceiling and floor tiles as well as car brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.

There is evidence to suggest that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These fibres are not tightly woven like the fibrils found in amphibole and serpentine, they are loose, flexible, asbestos attorney and needle-like. They can be found in cliffs, mountains and sandstones of a variety of countries.

Asbestos is able to enter the environment in a variety ways, including through airborne particles. It can also leach out into water or soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused through natural weathering. However it is also caused anthropogenically, such as by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated dumping materials in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Exposure to asbestos-containing airborne fibres remains the main cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most common method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lung, causing serious health problems. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibers can be triggered in other ways, including contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. This kind of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are easy to breathe and can be lodged deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.

The six primary kinds are chrysotile and amosite. Chrysotile and amosite are among the most frequently used types of asbestos and account for 95% of the asbestos used in commercial construction. The other four have not been as widely utilized, but they may still be present in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite or chrysotile, but they can still be a danger when mixed with other minerals or when mined near other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as vermiculite and talc.

Numerous studies have proven an association between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent range of CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers as well as an SMR of 1.24 (95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos may cause mesothelioma or other health problems, but the risks differ based on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the type of asbestos used, the duration of their exposure and the method by the way it is inhaled or ingested. The IARC has advised that abstaining from all asbestos forms should be the highest priority as it is the best option for individuals. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and suffer from respiratory issues or mesothelioma condition, then you should consult your GP or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are groups of minerals that can form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic system of crystals, but some exhibit an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains consist of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons that are joined in rings of six. Tetrahedrons may be separated by octahedral strips.

Amphibole minerals are common in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are usually dark and hard. Because of their similar hardness and color, they could be difficult for some to distinguish from Pyroxenes. They also share a similar the cleavage pattern. Their chemistry can allow for a range of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the various mineral groups in amphibole could 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. Each variety of asbestos has distinct characteristics. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are simple to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. This type was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are difficult to study because of their an intricate chemical structure and many substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. The most common methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance, cannot distinguish between magnesio hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and.