The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

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

You cannot tell if something includes asbestos by looking at it and you won't be able to smell or taste it. Asbestos is only detectable when the substances that contain it are broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile comprised the majority of asbestos production. It was widely used in industries, including construction, fireproofing, and insulation. In the event that workers were exposed to the toxic material, they could develop mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to increase in the 1960's. However, traces of it can still be found in the products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use provided you have a comprehensive safety and handling plan in place. Workers handling chrysotile are not exposed to a significant amount of risk at the current safe exposure levels. Inhaling airborne fibres has been found to be strongly linked with lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been proven for both intensity (dose) and the duration of exposure.

In one study mortality rates were compared between a manufacturing facility which used largely Chrysotile in the production of friction materials and the national death rate. The study revealed that after 40 years of converting low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant increase in mortality rates at this facility.

In contrast to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be smaller. They can penetrate the lungs, and then pass through the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues over longer fibres.

It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibres be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. The fibre cement products are extensively used throughout the world, especially in buildings like hospitals and schools.

Research has proven that amphibole asbestos like amosite or crocidolite is less likely than chrysotile in causing disease. These amphibole types have been the primary cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile are mixed, a durable, flexible product is created which is able to withstand the most extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional and safely taken away.

Amosite

Asbestos is a term used to describe a class of fibrous silicate minerals which are found naturally in a variety of types of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: 125.141.133.9 serpentine, amphibole as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).

Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibers that range in length from very fine to broad and straight to curled. These fibres are found in nature as individual fibrils, or as bundles that have splaying ends, referred to as a fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can also be found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder, which have been widely used in consumer products such as baby powder, face powder and cosmetics.

The heaviest use of asbestos was in the first two-thirds of 20th century, when it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed to contaminated vermiculite or talc, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time and geographic location.

Most of the occupational exposures to asbestos were due to inhalation. However, certain workers were exposed via skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos can be found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined minerals and deterioration of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes, clutches, as well as floor and ceiling tiles.

There is evidence to suggest that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres do not have the tight woven fibrils of the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. They can be found in the mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones of a variety of countries.

Asbestos can enter the environment in a variety of ways, including in the form of airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into soil or water. This can be caused by natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and ananthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily caused through natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by anthropogeny, such as by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated waste in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres remains the main cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos at work.

Crocidolite

Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most common way people are exposed to the harmful fibres, which could then enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis and other diseases are caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibers can occur in different ways, like contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. This type of exposure is more dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are easier to inhale and can lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other asbestos types.

The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite as well as epoxiemite. Tremolite is anthophyllite, and actinolite. The most well-known forms of asbestos are chrysotile and epoxiemite, which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos used. The other four types haven't been as popularly used but they can be present in older buildings. They are less harmful than chrysotile and amosite, but they could be a risk when mixed with other asbestos minerals or mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.

Numerous studies have shown that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However there is no conclusive evidence. Certain researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% 95% confidence interval: Vimeo.com 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers as well as 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 forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All forms of dunellen asbestos lawyer could cause mesothelioma as well as other health problems, but the risks vary according to how much exposure individuals are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved as well as the length of their exposure, and the manner in the way that it is breathed in or ingested. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types should be the highest priority since this is the most secure option for people. If you've been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma, then you should consult your GP or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that may form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a kind of inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of molecules of SiO4. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, however 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 in rings of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another with octahedral strips.

Amphibole minerals can be found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are typically dark-colored and hard. Due to their similarity of hardness and color, they can be difficult for some people to distinguish from pyroxenes. They also share a similar design of cleavage. Their chemistry can allow for a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various mineral groups in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.

Amphibole asbestos includes chrysotile and the five asbestos types: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. While the most commonly used asbestos type is chrysotile. Each variety has distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is considered to be the most hazardous asbestos kind. It is composed of sharp fibers that can easily be inhaled into the lungs. Anthophyllite can range from yellow to brown in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. This kind of material was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze due to their a complicated chemical structure and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires special techniques. The most common methods of identifying amphiboles include EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance cannot differentiate between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. Moreover, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.