The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was a component in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. According to research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health problems.

You can't tell if something has asbestos just by looking at it and you won't be able to smell or taste it. Asbestos is only detected when materials containing it are broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 99percent of the asbestos that was produced. It was used in many industries, including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they may develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma was first becoming an issue, the use of asbestos has decreased significantly. However, trace amounts of it are still present in many of the products we use today.

Chrysotile can be safely used when a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. It has been found that at the current controlled exposure levels, there isn't an undue risk to the workers working with it. Inhaling airborne fibers has been strongly associated with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been proven both for the intensity (dose) as well as the 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. The study found that after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality in this factory.

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

When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to air-borne and pose any health risks. Fibre cement products are extensively used in many parts of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has proven that chrysotile is less likely to cause disease than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole varieties are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is mixed in with cement, it forms a strong, flexible construction product that can withstand extreme weather conditions and other environmental dangers. It is also very easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely remove asbestos fibres once they have been removed.

Amosite

asbestos attorney refers to a group of fibrous silicate minerals that occur naturally in certain types of rock formations. It is divided into six groups which include amphibole (serpentine) and the tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

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

Asbestos was widely used during the first two thirds of the 20th century to construct construction of ships insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres that were borne in the air, but some workers were exposed to toxic talc or vermiculite and also to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied from industry industry, era to era, and geographical location.

The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mostly caused by inhalation. However, some workers have been exposed through skin contact or through eating foods contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos can only be found in the environment because of natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated, such as ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches as well as insulation.

It is becoming apparent that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. They are not tightly woven like the fibrils found in amphibole or serpentine, but are instead loose as well as flexible and needle-like. These fibers are found in mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones of a variety of countries.

Asbestos can enter the environment in a variety of ways, including through airborne particles. It is also able to leach into water or soil. This can be due to both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is mostly a result of natural weathering, however it has also been caused by anthropogenic activities like milling and mining demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials as well as the disposal of contaminated dumping soils in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos case during their occupation.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most frequent method of exposure to asbestos fibres. The fibres can penetrate the lungs, causing serious health problems. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. Exposure to fibres can occur in different ways too, such as contact with contaminated clothing or materials. This type of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are thinner and more fragile which makes them more difficult to inhale. They can also lodge deeper inside lung tissue. It has been associated with a higher number of mesothelioma related cases than any other form of asbestos.

The six main types are chrysotile, amosite and chrysotile. Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most commonly used types of asbestos and account for 95 percent of all commercial asbestos currently used. The other four asbestos types aren't as widespread, but they can still be found in older structures. They are not as hazardous as amosite and chrysotile, but they could pose a threat when mixed with other asbestos minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, like talc or vermiculite.

A number of studies have demonstrated an connection between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. Numerous studies have shown a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. However there is no conclusive evidence. Certain researchers have reported an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers, while others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% C.I. 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all types of asbestos carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma however, the risk is dependent on how much exposure, what kind of asbestos is involved, and the length of time that exposure lasts. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types should be the top priority since this is the safest option for individuals. If you have been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from respiratory issues or mesothelioma, then you should seek advice from your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphibole is a class of minerals that form long prisms or needlelike crystals. They are a type inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They usually have a monoclinic structure in their crystals, although some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in a ring of six tetrahedrons. Tetrahedrons can be separated by octahedral strips.

Amphibole minerals are found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are typically dark and hard. Due to their similarity in strength and color, they could be difficult for some people to differentiate from the pyroxenes. They also share a similar cleavage pattern. However their chemistry allows the use of a variety 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 as well as crocidolite and actinolite. While the most commonly used form of asbestos is chrysotile; each has its own unique characteristics. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is composed of sharp fibers that are simple to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish hue and is comprised primarily of magnesium and iron. This type of stone was once used in cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals can be difficult to analyze due to their a complicated chemical structure and numerous substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals is a complex process that requires specialized techniques. The most widely used methods to identify amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods can only give approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques cannot distinguish between magnesiohastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. These techniques do not differentiate between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.