The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

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

You can't tell if something contains asbestos by looking at it, and you can't taste or smell it. It is only visible when asbestos-containing materials are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile was responsible for 90% of the asbestos produced. It was utilized in a variety of industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma and 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 remain in common products that we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use provided you have a comprehensive safety and handling plan in place. It has been discovered that, at the present controlled exposure levels, there isn't an undue risk to the workers who handle it. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed both for the intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure.

One study that examined the operation of a factory that utilized almost all chrysotile as its friction materials, compared mortality rates in this facility with national death rates. The study found that, after 40 years of manufacturing low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality in this factory.

Chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter than other forms of asbestos. They are able to penetrate the lungs, and then pass through the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health issues than longer fibres.

It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibres 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.

Studies have shown that chrysotile is less prone to cause illness than amphibole asbestos, such as crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole types are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it creates a tough, flexible building product that is able to withstand severe conditions in the weather and other environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibres are easily removed by a professional and then safely eliminated.

Amosite

Asbestos is a grouping of fibrous silicates found in certain types rock formations. It is classified into six groups: amphibole (serpentine) and Tremolite (tremolite) anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos Attorney minerals comprise thin, long fibers that range in length from fine to wide. They can also be curled or straight. These fibres are found in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles with splaying edges called a fibril matrix. Asbestos can also be found in a powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals to form vermiculite or talcum powder. They are extensively used in consumer products, such as baby powder, cosmetics and face powder.

The heaviest asbestos use was during the first two-thirds period of the 20th century where 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 vermiculite or talc that was contaminated, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, era to, and geographical location.

The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is usually due to inhalation. However there have been instances of workers being exposed by contact with their skin or through eating foods contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is currently only found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined ore and the degradation of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes, clutches as well as ceiling and floor tiles.

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

Asbestos may enter the environment in many ways, including through airborne particles. It is also able to leach into water or soil. This occurs both from natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and removal of asbestos-containing wastes from landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is largely associated with natural weathering, but has also been caused by human activities like mining and milling demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing materials as well as the disposal of contaminated dumping ground in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to asbestos fibres is the most common cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos litigation in the workplace.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most common method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can infiltrate the lung, causing serious health problems. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other illnesses can be caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to fibres can occur in different ways too like contact with contaminated clothing or construction materials. This type of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite has smaller, more fragile fibers, which are easier to breathe in and can get deeper into lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other asbestos types.

The six primary types are chrysotile and amosite. Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most commonly used forms of asbestos. They comprise 95% of commercial asbestos that is used. The other four types of asbestos haven't been as widely used but they can be found in older buildings. They are less hazardous than chrysotile and amosite, but they could pose a threat when combined with other asbestos minerals or mined in close proximity to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, like talc or vermiculite.

A number of studies have demonstrated an association between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. A number of studies have confirmed that asbestos exposure is linked to stomach. The evidence is contradictory. Certain researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% 95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for those who work in chrysotile mines and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, but the risk is different based on how much exposure, what kind of asbestos is involved, and the length of time that exposure lasts. The IARC has advised that abstaining from all asbestos forms should be the top priority because this is the most secure option for people. However, if a person has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from a condition such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory conditions, they should seek guidance from their doctor or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphibole is a group of minerals that form long prism or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They typically have a monoclinic crystal system, although some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in rings of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons are separated each other by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphiboles can be found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark and hard. Due to their similarity in strength and color, they can be difficult for some to distinguish from the pyroxenes. They also have a comparable the cleavage. Their chemistry permits a wide variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the various mineral groups in amphibole could be used to identify them.

Amphibole asbestos comprises chrysotile and the five asbestos types amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. While the most popular asbestos type is chrysotile, each variety is unique in its own way. The most dangerous form of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite is a brownish to yellowish hue and is made primarily of magnesium and iron. This kind of material was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphiboles can be difficult to study due to their complex chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A detailed analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most widely used methods for identifying amphiboles. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. These methods, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also don't distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.