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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned, asbestos was used in thousands commercial products. Research suggests that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health problems.
It is difficult to tell if something includes asbestos by looking at it and you are unable to smell or taste it. Asbestos is only detected when the substances that contain it are broken or drilled.
Chrysotile
At its height, chrysotile comprised up 99% of the asbestos produced. It was used in many industries including construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. In the event that workers were exposed to the toxic substance, they could develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma was first becoming a problem, the use of asbestos has decreased significantly. It is still found in many products we use in the present.
Chrysotile can be used safely if a thorough safety and handling plan is put into place. People who handle chrysotile do not exposed to a significant amount of risk at current limits of exposure. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma have been strongly linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for both the intensity (dose) and the duration of exposure.
A study that looked at a facility that used nearly all chrysotile as its friction materials, compared mortality rates at this factory with national death rates. The study found that, after 40 years of converting low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality rates at this facility.
Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other types of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause ill-health effects than fibrils with a longer length.
It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibres be inhaled or to pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are used extensively throughout the world particularly in buildings like hospitals and schools.
Research has revealed that amphibole asbestos, like amosite or crocidolite is not as likely than chrysotile to cause disease. These amphibole types are the main cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile mixes with cement, it creates a tough, flexible building product that can withstand extreme weather conditions and other environmental hazards. It is also simple to clean after use. Professionals can safely dispose of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.
Amosite
Asbestos refers to a group of fibrous silicate minerals that naturally occur in certain types of rock formations. It is divided into six groups that include amphibole (serpentine) and Tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.
Asbestos minerals consist of thin, long fibers that range in length from fine to wide. They can be curled or straight. They are found in nature as individual fibrils or bundles that have splaying ends, referred to as a fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can also be found in powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite which are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and baby powder.
Asbestos was heavily used in the early two-thirds of the 20th century for construction of ships, insulation, fireproofing, and various other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres borne by air, but some workers were exposed vermiculite or talc that was contaminated and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). racine asbestos law firm varied by the industry, time frame, and geographic location.
The majority of asbestos exposures that workers were exposed to was due to inhalation. However, certain workers were exposed through contact with skin or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only found in the air due to natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated, such as ceiling and floor tiles automobile brakes and clutches as well as insulation.
It is becoming apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that are not the tightly knit fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the cliffs and mountains of several countries.
Asbestos can be found in the environment as airborne particles, but it can also leach into water and soil. This happens both through natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and removal of asbestos-containing wastes from landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily caused through natural weathering. However it is also caused anthropogenically, such as by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated dumping materials in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant reason for illness among those exposed to asbestos in their occupation.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most common way people are exposed to dangerous fibres, which can then be inhaled and cause serious health issues. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibres can be experienced in other ways, including contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This kind 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 inhale and can lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to a higher number of mesothelioma-related cancers than any other type of asbestos.
The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite as well as epoxiemite. Tremolite is anthophyllite and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are the most commonly used types of asbestos and account for 95 percent of all asbestos used in commercial construction. The other four types of asbestos haven't been as popularly used however, they could be found in older buildings. They are not as hazardous as amosite and chrysotile. However, they may pose a danger when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as vermiculite or talc.
Numerous studies have proven the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. Certain researchers have reported an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% range of CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers, while others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent C.I. 0.76-2.5) for those who work in chrysotile mines and mills.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, but the risk is different based on how much exposure, the type of asbestos is involved, and how long the exposure lasts. IARC has stated that the best choice for people is to stay clear of all types of asbestos. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from an illness, such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory diseases it is recommended that they seek advice from their GP or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that may form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a type of silicate mineral made up of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically possess a monoclinic crystal system however some may have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains comprise (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in rings of six tetrahedrons. Tetrahedrons are distinguished from one another with octahedral strips.
Amphibole minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are typically dark-colored and tough. Due to their similarity of hardness and color, they may be difficult for some people to differentiate from Pyroxenes. They also have a comparable the cleavage. However their chemistry permits the use of a variety of compositions. The various minerals within amphibole can be identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.
The five types of asbestos that belong to the amphibole group include amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, and actinolite. While the most popular form of asbestos is chrysotile, each variety has its own unique characteristics. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos type. It has sharp fibers that can be easily breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite is a brownish to yellowish color and is composed mostly of iron and magnesium. This type of stone was once used in products like cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complex chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most widely used methods of identifying amphiboles. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for example can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques also cannot distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.