The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned, asbestos was widely used in commercial products. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health issues.
It is not possible to tell by simply looking at something if it contains asbestos. You cannot smell or taste it. It is only discovered when the asbestos-containing materials are drilled, chipped or broken.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile made the majority of the asbestos produced. It was used by many industries, including construction, fireproofing, and insulation. In the event that workers were exposed to this harmful material, they may develop mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Thankfully, the use this harmful mineral has diminished significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to grow in the 1960's. However, traces of it can still be found in products that we use in the present.
Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling plan in place. It has been found that, at the present controlled exposure levels, there isn't an unneeded risk to the people who handle the substance. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma have been strongly connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for intensity (dose) as and the duration of exposure.
One study that looked into a facility that used nearly all chrysotile as its friction materials compared mortality rates at this factory with national death rates. It was found that for 40 years of processing chrysotile asbestos at low levels of exposure there was no significant excess mortality in this factory.
Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs, and enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems over longer fibres.
When chrysotile is mixed into cement, it's very difficult for the fibres to become airborne and cause health hazards. Fibre cement products are extensively used across the globe, especially in buildings like hospitals and schools.
Research has proven that chrysotile is less likely to cause illness than amphibole asbestos, like amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole varieties are the main cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it creates a strong, flexible construction product that can withstand the most extreme conditions in the weather and other environmental dangers. It is also very easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional and safely removed.
Amosite
Asbestos is a term used to describe a class of silicate mineral fibrous that naturally occur in certain types of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).
norwalk asbestos attorneys consist of thin, long fibres that vary in length from extremely fine to wide and straight to curled. They are present in nature as individual fibrils, or as bundles with splaying ends referred to as fibril matrix. Asbestos can also be found in powder form (talc), or combined with other minerals in order to create talcum powder or vermiculite. These are widely used as consumer goods, including baby powder, cosmetics and face powder.
Asbestos was extensively used in the early two-thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. The majority of asbestos exposures for work occurred in the air, but some workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied by the type of industry, the time period, and geographic location.
Most asbestos exposures that workers were exposed to was due to inhalation, but some workers were also exposed through skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is only present in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined ore and deterioration of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes, clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.
It is becoming apparent that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't tightly woven like the fibrils found in amphibole or serpentine, they are loose elastic, flexible, and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the cliffs and mountains of several countries.
Asbestos gets into the environment primarily in the form of airborne particles, however it also leaches into soil and water. This can be triggered by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by anthropogeny, such as through the mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant cause of disease among those exposed to it in their job.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most common way people are exposed to harmful fibres that can then enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to fibers can occur in other ways as well, for example, contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are less dense and more fragile and therefore easier to breathe in. They can also lodge deeper into lung tissues. It has been associated with a higher number of mesothelioma cases than any other type of asbestos.
The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are the most commonly used forms of asbestos. They comprise 95% of commercial asbestos currently used. The other four asbestos types aren't as well-known, but can still be found in older structures. They are less hazardous than chrysotile and amosite, but they could be a risk when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined close to other mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.
Numerous studies have proven that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have cited a SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers. However, others have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in mines and chrysotile mills.
IARC The IARC, also known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all types of asbestos carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos may cause mesothelioma and other health issues, however the risk is dependent on the amount of exposure people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure and the way in which it is breathed in or consumed. The IARC has recommended that avoid all forms of asbestos is the most important thing to do since this is the best option for people. If you've been exposed to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory illness or mesothelioma, you should consult your GP or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that may create prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type inosilicate mineral composed of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They have a monoclinic arrangement 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 linked in rings of six. Tetrahedrons can be separated by octahedral strips.
Amphiboles are found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark-colored and tough. Due to their similarity in hardness and color, they may be difficult for some people to distinguish from Pyroxenes. They also have a comparable the cleavage. Their chemistry allows a wide variety of compositions. The various amphibole mineral groups are identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.
The five types of asbestos that belong to the amphibole group include chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. While the most popular asbestos type is chrysotile each type has its own unique characteristics. The most hazardous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite has a brownish to yellowish color and is composed mostly of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in products such as cement and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals are difficult to analyze because they have a an intricate chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. The most commonly used methods of identifying amphiboles include EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance cannot differentiate between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also don't distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.
