The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned, solvay asbestos was still used in a variety of commercial products. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health problems.

You cannot tell by just taking a look at something if it's made of asbestos. Also, you cannot smell or taste 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 utilized in a variety of industries which included construction insulation, fireproofing, as well as insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma along with other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this harmful mineral has diminished significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to increase in the 1960's. However, trace amounts remain in common products that we use in the present.

Chrysotile can be used safely with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put into place. It has been determined that at the present exposure levels, there isn't an unneeded risk to the people handling the substance. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma are all linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven to be true for both the intensity (dose) and time of exposure.

In one study mortality rates were compared between a facility which used largely chlorosotile to make friction materials and national death rates. It was found that for 40 years of preparing asbestos chrysotile in 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 shorter. They can pass through the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems over longer fibres.

It is very difficult for chrysotile fibres to be inhaled or to pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products have been extensively used across the globe, especially in buildings such as schools and hospitals.

Research has proven that amphibole asbestos, like amosite or crocidolite is less likely to cause disease. These amphibole forms have been the primary source of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile mix and cured, a tough and flexible material is created that is able to withstand extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also simple to clean after use. Professionals can safely dispose of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a category of silicate fibrous minerals that are found naturally in specific kinds of rock formations. It is comprised of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

Asbestos minerals consist of thin, long fibers that range in length, ranging from very thin to broad and straight to curled. They are present in nature as individual fibrils or as bundles with splaying edges called a fibril matrix. Asbestos can also be found in powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals to make talcum powder or vermiculite. These are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder, cosmetics and facial powder.

The most extensive asbestos use occurred during the first two-thirds of twentieth century, when it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of troy asbestos lawyer exposures for work were in the air, however certain workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rocks and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied from industry to industry, era to era, and geographical location.

Asbestos exposure in the workplace is mostly due to inhalation. However there have been instances of workers being exposed through skin contact or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos is only found in the environment due to natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products, such as ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches as well as insulation.

There is evidence emerging that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. They are not tightly weaved like the fibrils in amphibole and serpentine, they are loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the mountains, sandstones, and cliffs from a variety of nations.

Asbestos is able to enter the environment in many ways, including in the form of airborne particles. It can also leach out into water or soil. This happens both through natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing materials in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused through natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by anthropogeny, such as by the milling and mining of sunbury asbestos lawyer-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated dumping materials in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the primary cause of illness among people exposed to it in their occupation.

Crocidolite

Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most popular way people are exposed to the harmful fibres, which could then be inhaled and cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other diseases can be caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibres can also take place in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. This kind of exposure is particularly dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are less dense and more fragile and therefore easier to breathe in. They also can get deeper into lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma-related cases than other types of asbestos.

The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite as well as epoxiemite. Tremolite is anthophyllite, and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most commonly used types of asbestos and make up 95% of the commercial asbestos that is used. The other four have not been as widely utilized however, they could be found in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite and chrysotile, but they may pose a danger when combined with other asbestos minerals or mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, like talc or vermiculite.

Numerous studies have proven that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However, the evidence is contradictory. Certain researchers have cited an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, whereas others report an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma as well as other health issues, however the risks are different based on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the type of asbestos used and the duration of their exposure and the way in the way that it is breathed in or consumed. IARC has stated that the best option for people is to avoid all forms of asbestos. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a condition such as mesothelioma or other respiratory ailments it is recommended that they seek advice from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles comprise a variety of minerals which can form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They are a monoclinic system of crystals, however 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 which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated by octahedral strips.

Amphibole minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark-colored and hard. They can be difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes due to their similar hardness and color. They also have a comparable the cleavage. However their chemistry permits many different compositions. The different mineral groups within amphibole are identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.

The five asbestos types in the amphibole class include chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. Each type of asbestos has its own distinct properties. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos kind. It contains sharp fibers that can easily be inhaled into the lung. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphiboles are difficult to analyse because of their complex chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires special techniques. The most common methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance, cannot distinguish between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and Lake barrington asbestos attorney pargasite.