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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos was used in thousands commercial products. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health problems.

You cannot tell if something has asbestos just by looking at it and you can't taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detectable when the materials that contain it are broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile accounted for the majority of the asbestos production. It was widely used in industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. In the event that workers were exposed to this toxic material, they may develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to grow in the 1960's. However, trace amounts of it are still present in products that we use in the present.

Chrysotile can be used safely when a thorough safety and handling plan is put in place. People who handle chrysotile do not exposed to a significant amount of risk based on the current limit of exposure. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma are all linked to breathing airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven both for the intensity (dose) as and the duration of exposure.

One study that examined an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials, compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. It was found that, for 40 years of preparing chrysotile asbestos at low levels of exposure, there was no significant increase in mortality in this particular factory.

Chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health issues than fibres that are longer.

It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibrous to be airborne or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are used in a variety of locations around the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has revealed that chrysotile is less likely to cause disease than amphibole asbestos, like amosite and crocidolite. Amphibole asbestos kinds have been the main cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it creates a strong, flexible building product that is able to withstand severe conditions in the weather and other environmental dangers. It is also easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional, and then removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a term used to describe a class of silicate minerals with fibrous structure that occur naturally in certain kinds of rock formations. It is classified into six groups including amphibole (serpentine), the tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that vary in length from fine to broad. They can also be straight or curled. They are present in nature as individual fibrils, or as bundles with splaying edges called fibril matrix. Asbestos is also found in powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals to make talcum powder or vermiculite. These are commonly used in consumer products, such as baby powder, cosmetics and facial powder.

The heaviest asbestos use occurred during the first two-thirds of the 20th century, when it was used 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, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied according to the type of industry, the time period and geographical location.

Asbestos exposure at work is mostly due to inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed by contact with their skin or through eating foods contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only found in the natural environment due to natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated, such as ceiling and floor tiles automobile brakes and clutches, and insulation.

It is becoming apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that do not have the tight knit fibrils of the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibres are found in the cliffs and mountains from a variety of countries.

Asbestos gets into the environment primarily as airborne particles, but it also leaches into water and soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However it is also caused by human activity, for instance by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibers is the primary cause of illness for people exposed to asbestos at work.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most popular way people are exposed to harmful fibres that can then get into the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other diseases can be caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibres can be experienced in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. This type of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are more easy to breathe in and can get 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, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite. The most commonly used asbestos types are epoxiemite and chrysotile, which together make up the majority of commercial asbestos used. The other four asbestos types are not as common, but may still be present in older structures. They are less dangerous than amosite or chrysotile however they could still pose a threat when mixed with other minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, such as vermiculite and talc.

Numerous studies have revealed an connection between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. Several studies have found a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. However the evidence isn't conclusive. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, and others report an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 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 risks vary depending on how much exposure, the type of asbestos is involved and the length of time that exposure lasts. The IARC has advised that abstaining from all asbestos forms is the most important thing to do as it is the safest option for those who are exposed. If you've been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma then you should talk to your doctor or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles comprise a variety of minerals that form needle-like or prism-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They typically possess a monoclinic crystal system but some also 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 linked together in a ring of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphibole minerals are common in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark-colored and are hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and color. They also share a similar pattern of cleavage. However, their chemistry allows for the use of a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various mineral groups in amphibole could be used to determine their composition.

Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five asbestos types amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite) and amosite. While the most frequently used asbestos type is chrysotile; each has its own unique characteristics.  palm bay asbestos attorney  of asbestos, crocidolite is composed of sharp fibers that are simple to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphiboles are difficult to analyze because of their complex chemical structure and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires specialized methods. The most commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance cannot differentiate between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.