The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was found in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. Research has shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health issues.

It is difficult to tell if something includes asbestos by looking at it and you can't smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be detected when the materials that contain it are broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up for 99percent of the asbestos that was produced. It was utilized in a variety of industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers were exposed to the toxic material, they could contract mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma first became a major concern the use of asbestos has declined significantly. It is still present in a variety of products we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling program in place. It has been determined that, at today's controlled exposure levels, there isn't an undue risk to the workers handling it. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma are all associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven both for intensity (dose) as and the duration of exposure.

In one study mortality rates were compared between a factory which used largely chlorosotile to make friction materials and national death rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of converting low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant rise in mortality in this factory.

Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other types of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs, and enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues than fibres that are longer.

It is very difficult for chrysotile fibres be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are extensively used across the globe particularly in buildings such as schools and hospitals.

Research has revealed that amphibole asbestos like amosite, crocidolite, or crocidolite, is less likely to cause disease. These amphibole types are the primary cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, asbestos it forms an extremely durable and flexible building product that is able to withstand severe weather conditions and other environmental dangers. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely remove asbestos fibres once they have been removed.

Amosite

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

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

Asbestos was widely used during the early two-thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos fibres were in the air, however some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied according to industry, time period and geographic location.

The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is usually caused by inhalation. However there are workers who have been exposed through skin contact or through eating foods contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is currently only found in the air due to natural weathering of mined ores and the degrading of contaminated materials such as insulation, car brakes, clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.

There is emerging evidence that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't weaved like the fibrils that are found in amphibole and serpentine they are loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibres are found in the cliffs and mountains of several countries.

Asbestos may enter the environment in a variety ways, including in the form of airborne particles. It can also leach out into soil or water. 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 in surface and ground waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However it can also be caused by anthropogeny, such as by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated waste in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant reason for illness among those who are exposed to it during their job.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most common method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lungs and cause serious health issues. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to fibres can occur in other ways, too like contact with contaminated clothing, or building materials. The dangers of this kind of exposure are greater when crocidolite (the asbestos in the blue form is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are easier to inhale and can lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been linked to a larger number of mesothelioma related cases than any other type of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos legal are chrysotile amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite and actinolite. The most well-known asbestos types are epoxiemite and chrysotile which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos employed. The other four types haven't been as extensively used, but they may still be found in older buildings. They aren't as hazardous as amosite or chrysotile but still be a danger when mixed with other minerals, or when mined close to other mineral deposits like vermiculite and talc.

Numerous studies have revealed that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos settlement exposure. However there is no conclusive evidence. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos as well as an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers working in chrysotile mining and mills.

IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all kinds of asbestos carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma or other health issues, although the risk is dependent on the amount of exposure individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved as well as the length of their exposure and the manner in the way that it is breathed in or ingested. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types is the most important thing to do as it is the safest option for individuals. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma, you should seek advice from your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are groups of minerals which can form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a type inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, however some exhibit an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together by tetrahedron rings made of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphiboles are present in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark-colored and are hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and colors. They also share a similar cleavage. However, their chemistry allows for the use of a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the different mineral groups found in amphibole may be used to identify them.

The five types of asbestos belonging to the amphibole family are amosite, anthophyllite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. Each type of asbestos comes with its own distinctive properties. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are simple to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite ranges from brown to yellowish in color and is composed of magnesium and iron. It was previously used in products such as cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze because they have a complicated chemical structure and many substitutions. A detailed analysis of the composition of amphibole mineral requires specialized methods. The most popular methods for identifying amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques can't distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio hastingsite. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.