10 Untrue Answers To Common Asbestos Attorney Questions: Do You Know The Right Answers?
The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was found in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and a host of other health issues.
You cannot tell by just looking at something if it's made of asbestos. Also, you cannot smell or taste it. It is only visible when materials containing asbestos are drilled, chipped or broken.
Chrysotile
At its height, chrysotile provided for 90% of the asbestos made. It was used by many industries, including construction, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use this hazardous mineral has declined dramatically since mesothelioma awareness began to grow in the 1960's. However, trace amounts are still present in many of the 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 found that at the present exposure levels, there isn't an undue risk to the workers working with the substance. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma were all associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for both the intensity (dose) and time of exposure.
A study that looked at an industrial facility that used almost all chrysotile as its friction materials compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. The study found that after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant increase in mortality rates at this facility.
As opposed to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be smaller. They can pass through the lungs, and enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues over longer fibres.
When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it is very difficult for the fibres to be airborne and cause health hazards. Fibre cement products are used extensively throughout the world particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals.
Research has shown that chrysotile's risk is lower to cause illness than amphibole asbestos like amosite and crocidolite. Amphibole asbestos forms have been the primary cause of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related illnesses. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it forms a tough, flexible building product that can withstand the most extreme conditions in the weather and other environmental dangers. It is also easy to clean up after use. Professionals can safely remove asbestos fibres once they have been removed.
Amosite
Asbestos is a term used to describe a class of silicate mineral fibrous that naturally occur in certain kinds of rock formations. It is divided into six groups including amphibole (serpentine) and tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.
Asbestos minerals consist of thin, long fibers that vary in length from fine to broad. They can also be curled or straight. They are present in nature as individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends referred to as a fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can be found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder and are used in consumer products like baby powder cosmetics, face powder, and baby powder.
The largest use of asbestos occurred in the first two-thirds of 20th century when it was utilized in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were asbestos fibres borne by air, but certain workers were exposed to vermiculite or talc that was contaminated and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, era to era and even geographical location.
Most of the occupational exposures to asbestos were 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 degradation of contaminated products, such as ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.
There is growing evidence that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that do not form the tightly knit fibrils of the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the mountains and cliffs in a variety of countries.
Asbestos can be absorbed into the environment in many ways, such as in airborne particles. It can also leach out into water or soil. This is a result of both natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by anthropogeny, such as through mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated dumping materials in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the most significant cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos during their job.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure is the most frequent method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can infiltrate the lung, causing serious health problems. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibers can also take place in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite has smaller, more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and may lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.
The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite as well as epoxiemite. Tremolite is anthophyllite, and actinolite. The most common asbestos types are chrysotile and epoxiemite, which together make up the majority of commercial asbestos employed. The other four have not been as extensively used however they can be present in older buildings. They are less dangerous than amosite or chrysotile but still be a danger when mixed with other minerals, or when mined near other mineral deposits such as vermiculite and talc.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However the evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% range of CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers and others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.
chico asbestos law firm for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma however the risks differ based on the amount of exposure, what kind of asbestos is involved, and how long the exposure lasts. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types is the most important thing to do as it is the most secure option for individuals. If you've been exposed in the past to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory condition or mesothelioma, then you should seek advice from your physician or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals which can form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a kind of inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, but some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are made up of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons, which are connected in rings of six. Tetrahedrons can be separated by strips of octahedral sites.
Amphibole minerals are common in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are typically dark and hard. Due to their similarity in hardness and color, they could be difficult for some to distinguish from Pyroxenes. They also share a similar cut. However, their chemistry allows for a wide range of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different mineral groups in amphibole could be used to identify them.
The five types of asbestos belonging to the amphibole family are amosite, anthophyllite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. The most widely used asbestos type is chrysotile; each has its own distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos kind. It has sharp fibers which are easily inhaled into the lung. Anthophyllite is a brownish to yellowish hue and is comprised primarily of magnesium and iron. It was previously used in products such as cement and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals are challenging to study because of their a complicated chemical structure and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires special methods. The most commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. For example, these techniques cannot differentiate between magnesio-hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro hornblende and pargasite.