The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned, asbestos was widely used in commercial products. According to research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and a host of other health issues.
It is impossible to determine if a product includes asbestos simply by looking at it and you cannot taste or smell it. It is only discovered in the event that asbestos-containing products are drilled, chipped or broken.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile made up for 99% of the asbestos made. It was widely used in industries including construction, fireproofing, and insulation. Unfortunately, if workers were exposed to this harmful material, they could develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma was first becoming a problem, the use of asbestos has decreased significantly. However, trace amounts can still be found in products that we use today.
Chrysotile is safe to use in the event that you have a complete safety and handling plan in place. Workers handling chrysotile are not exposed to an undue amount of risk at the current limit of exposure. The inhalation of airborne fibres has been linked with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been proven both for intensity (dose) as and the duration of exposure.
In one study mortality rates were compared among a factory which used almost exclusively Chrysotile in the production of friction materials and national death rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of processing at low levels of chrysotile there was no significant increase in mortality at this factory.
Contrary to other types of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be smaller. They can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more prone to cause negative effects than longer fibres.
It is very difficult for chrysotile fibrous to be inhaled or to pose a health risk when mixed with cement. The fibre cement products are used extensively throughout the world particularly in buildings like hospitals and schools.
Research has proven that chrysotile is less prone to cause disease than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole types are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile mix with cement, a tough product is produced that is able to withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also simple to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional, and then disposed of.
Amosite
Asbestos is a grouping of fibrous silicates found in various types of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).
Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibers that vary in length from fine to wide. They can also be curled or straight. These fibers are found in nature as bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals can be found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder, which have been widely used in consumer products such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder, and baby powder.
Asbestos was widely used during the early two-thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved airborne asbestos fibres, but some workers were exposed to toxic talc or vermiculite as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, era to, and geographical location.
Most of the asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were because of inhalation, but some workers were also exposed through skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos can only be found in the natural environment due to natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated like ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches as well as insulation.
It is becoming apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are the fibres that do not have the tight knit fibrils of the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibers are found in the mountains, sandstones and cliffs of a variety of countries.
Asbestos can be found in the environment as airborne particles, but it also leaches into water and soil. This happens both through natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes at landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in surface and ground waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However it can also be caused by human activity, for instance through the mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Exposure to asbestos-containing airborne fibers is the primary cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos in the workplace.
Crocidolite
Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most common way people are exposed to the harmful fibres that can then be inhaled and cause serious health problems. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. The exposure to asbestos fibres could also take place in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. The risks of exposure are more pronounced when crocidolite which is the asbestos in the blue form, is involved. Crocidolite has smaller, more fragile fibers that are easy to inhale and can lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been linked to a higher number of mesothelioma-related cases than any other type of asbestos.
The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite and tremolite. They are epoxiemite, tremol anthophyllite, and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are the most commonly used types of asbestos. They comprise 95% of commercial asbestos that is used. The other four asbestos types are not as widespread, but they can still be found in older structures. They are less hazardous than amosite or chrysotile however they could still be dangerous when mixed with other minerals, or when mined near other mineral deposits, such as talc and vermiculite.
A number of studies have demonstrated an association between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. Numerous studies have shown a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. The evidence isn't unanimous. Certain researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent of the time CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% C.I. 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma as well as other health issues, however the risks are different based on how much exposure people are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved as well as the duration of exposure and the way in which it is breathed in or ingested. The IARC has recommended that abstaining from all asbestos forms is the most important thing to do since this is the most safe option for people. If lakewood asbestos attorney has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from an illness, such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory illnesses and require advice, they should seek out guidance from their physician or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a collection of minerals which can form needle-like or prism-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 are composed of (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in a ring of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons are separated by octahedral strips.
Amphiboles are present in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are usually dark-colored and are hard. Due to their similarity in strength and color, they may be difficult for some to differentiate from the pyroxenes. They also have a comparable Cleavage. Their chemistry allows for a range of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the different mineral groups in amphibole could be used to identify them.
Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five types of asbestos: amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. While the most commonly used asbestos type is chrysotile, each variety has distinct characteristics. The most harmful type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are simple to inhale into the lung. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. This variety was once used in cement-based products and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals are difficult to analyze due to their an intricate chemical structure and many substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. The most commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.