Asbestos Attorney: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned asbestos was used in thousands commercial products. According research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and a host of other health issues.
It is difficult to tell if something is asbestos-containing by looking at it and you can't taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detected when the substances that contain it are broken or drilled.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile made up for 90% of the asbestos that was produced. It was utilized in a variety of industries including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this harmful mineral has diminished significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to spread in the 1960's. However, trace amounts can still be found in the products we use today.
Chrysotile can be used safely with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put into place. Chrysotile handling workers aren't at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk at current safe exposure levels. The inhalation of airborne fibres has been found to be strongly linked with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been confirmed in terms of intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.
In springfield asbestos lawyer , mortality rates were compared between a facility which used largely Chrysotile for the production of friction materials and the national death rate. The study found that, after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant rise in mortality at this factory.
Contrary to other types of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be smaller. They can enter the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues over longer fibres.
When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it's extremely difficult for the fibres to air-borne and cause health hazards. Fibre cement products have been extensively used all over the world particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals.
Research has revealed that chrysotile is less likely to cause disease than amphibole asbestos like crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole varieties are the primary cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is mixed in with cement, it forms a tough, flexible building product that is able to withstand severe weather conditions and other environmental hazards. It is also simple to clean after use. Asbestos fibres can easily be removed by a professional and then safely taken away.
Amosite
Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicates found in various types of rock formations. It is comprised of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).
Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that vary in length from very fine to wide and straight to curled. These fibres can be found in nature in bundles or as individual fibrils. Asbestos can also be found in powder form (talc) or combined with other minerals to make talcum powder or vermiculite. These are widely used in consumer products like baby powder, cosmetics, and face powder.
The most extensive use of asbestos occurred in the early two-thirds of the twentieth century, when it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-containing exposures to the workplace were in the air, but some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied from industry to industry, era to and even geographical location.
The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mostly due to inhalation. However, some workers have been exposed by contact with their skin or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos is currently only found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined minerals and the deterioration of products contaminated with asbestos like insulation, car brakes and clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.
It is becoming evident that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. They are not tightly knit like the fibrils found in amphibole or serpentine, they are loose as well as flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the mountains and cliffs in a variety of countries.
Asbestos can be found in the environment as airborne particles, but it can also leach into water and soil. This is a result of both natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and the anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is typically a result of natural weathering, but has also been caused by anthropogenic activities such as mining and milling, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials as well as the disposal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Exposure to asbestos-containing airborne fibers is the primary cause of illness for people who are exposed to asbestos on a daily basis.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure is the most common method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma as well as asbestosis and other illnesses can be caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos fibres could also take place in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The risks of exposure are heightened when crocidolite, a blue form of asbestos, is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are easy to breathe in and may lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other asbestos types.
The six main types are chrysotile and amosite. The most common asbestos types are epoxiemite and chrysotile, which together comprise the majority of commercial asbestos used. The other four have not been as extensively used but they can be found in older buildings. They are less dangerous than amosite and chrysotile. However, they could pose a threat when mixed with other asbestos minerals or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.
Numerous studies have revealed an association between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. Several studies have found a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. However the evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, while others have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95% confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in chrysotile mills and mines.
IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all kinds of asbestos as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos may cause mesothelioma or other health problems, but the risks are different based on the amount of exposure people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved as well as the length of their exposure and the method by which it is breathed in or ingested. The IARC has advised that avoiding all forms of asbestos should be the highest priority because this is the most safe option for individuals. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma, then you should consult your GP or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles comprise a variety of minerals that can form needle-like or prism-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic structure of crystals, but some 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 are separated each other by strips of octahedral sites.
Amphiboles are found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark-colored and tough. Due to their similarity of hardness and color, they may be difficult for some to differentiate from Pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding cleavage. However their chemistry permits an array of compositions. The various mineral groups within amphibole are identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.
The five types of asbestos in the amphibole family include amosite, anthophyllite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. Each variety of asbestos has its own distinctive properties. The most dangerous form of asbestos, crocidolite, is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite can range from yellow to brown in color and is made up of iron and magnesium. It was previously used in products such as cement and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals are challenging to analyze because they have an intricate chemical structure and a variety of substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods for identifying amphiboles. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and hastingsite. Furthermore, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro hornblende and pargasite.