The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

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

You cannot tell by just looking at a thing if it's made of asbestos. You cannot taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detected when the materials that contain it are broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made the majority of asbestos production. It was employed in many industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing, as well as insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma first became an issue asbestos use has declined significantly. It is still found in many products we use today.

Chrysotile can be used safely with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put in place. It has been proven that, at the present controlled exposure levels, there isn't an danger to the people working with the substance. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma have been strongly connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven both for intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.

One study that studied a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile for manufacturing friction materials compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. It was concluded that over the course of 40 years, processing asbestos chrysotile at low levels of exposure there was no significant additional mortality in this factory.

Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs, and even enter the bloodstream. This makes them more prone to causing health effects 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 all over the world particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals.

Research has shown that chrysotile is less likely to cause disease than amphibole asbestos like crocidolite and amosite. Amphibole asbestos types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and various asbestos-related illnesses. When the cement and chrysotile are combined, a durable product is produced which is able to withstand the most extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also simple to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional and safely removed.

Amosite

Asbestos refers to a set of silicate minerals with fibrous structure that naturally occur in certain types of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

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

The largest use of asbestos occurred in the first two-thirds period of the twentieth century when it was utilized in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were to asbestos fibres in the air, however certain workers were exposed to vermiculite or talc that was contaminated as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, era to and geographic location.

Most of the asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were caused by inhalation, however certain workers were exposed by skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is only present in the environment due to natural weathering of mined ores and deterioration of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes and clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.

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

Asbestos enters the environment mainly in the form of airborne particles, however it can also leach into water and soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos settlement-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in surface and ground water is mostly caused by natural weathering. However it can also be caused by humans, asbestos attorney such as through milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the main cause of illness among people exposed to it in their work.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most common way people are exposed harmful fibres that can be absorbed into the lungs and cause serious health problems. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to fibres can occur in other ways, too, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and may lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other types of asbestos.

The six major 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 forms of asbestos and make up 95% of all commercial asbestos in use. The other four types haven't been as extensively used, but they may still be found in older buildings. They are not as dangerous as amosite or chrysotile but still be a risk when mixed with other minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, such as vermiculite and talc.

Several studies have found an connection between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. Numerous studies have shown a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. The evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% range of CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos, while others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent CI: 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC The IARC, also known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all types of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, however the risks differ based on how much exposure is taken, what type of asbestos is involved and how long exposure lasts. IARC has stated that the best choice for people is to stay clear of all types of asbestos. If you've been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory illness or mesothelioma, then you should seek advice from your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a type of silicate mineral that is composed of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They usually have a monoclinic structure in their crystals however some may have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are composed of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons, which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons are separated each other by octahedral sites in strips.

Amphiboles occur in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark and hard. Due to their similarity in strength and color, they can be difficult for some people to differentiate from the pyroxenes. They also have a similar cleavage. However their chemistry allows many different compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different mineral groups found in amphibole may be used to determine their composition.

Amphibole asbestos Attorney is comprised of chrysotile as well as the five asbestos types amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite) amosite (actinolite) and amosite. Each kind of asbestos has its own unique properties. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lungs. Anthophyllite is a brownish to yellowish color and is made primarily of magnesium and iron. This kind of stone was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals can be difficult to study because of their complex chemical structures and numerous substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. The most popular methods to identify amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these methods are unable to distinguish between magnesio-hastingsite from magnesio-hornblende. Furthermore, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.