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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned, asbestos was used in a myriad of commercial products. According research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and a host of other health issues.
It is impossible to determine if a product is asbestos-containing by looking at it and you won't be able to smell or taste it. Asbestos is only detected when the materials that contain it are broken, drilled, or chipped.
Chrysotile
At the height of its use, chrysotile made the majority of asbestos production. It was widely used in industries such as construction, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers were exposed to this harmful material, they may develop mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma began to become an issue the use of asbestos has declined significantly. However, it is still present in trace amounts. are still present in common products that we use today.
Chrysotile can be used safely when a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. It has been discovered that at the present exposure levels, there is no danger to the people handling the substance. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma were all associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for both intensity (dose) and the duration of exposure.
One study that studied a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared the mortality rates of this factory with national death rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of converting low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant increase in mortality in this factory.
Chrysotile fibres are usually shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health problems over longer fibres.
When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it's very difficult for the fibres to be airborne and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products are extensively utilized in many areas of the world including hospitals and schools.
Research has demonstrated that amphibole asbestos, like amosite, crocidolite, or crocidolite, is less likely than chrysotile to cause disease. Amphibole asbestos types have been the most common source of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile mix together, a strong, flexible product is created that is able to stand up to extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional and safely removed.
Amosite
Asbestos is one of the groups of fibrous silicates that are found in various types of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).
Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that vary in length from extremely fine to broad and straight to curled. These fibers are found in nature in bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals can also be found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder which are widely used in consumer products like baby powder, face powder and cosmetics.
Asbestos was widely used during the first two thirds of the 20th century to construct construction of ships insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were to asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed to vermiculite or talc that was contaminated and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time period, and geographic location.
The majority of asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were because of inhalation, but certain workers were exposed through contact with skin or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is currently only found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined ore and the degrading of contaminated materials such as insulation, car brakes, clutches and ceiling and floor tiles.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. vallejo asbestos attorney are fibres that do not have the tight knit fibrils of the serpentine and amphibole minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers are found in mountains, sandstones and cliffs of a variety of countries.
Asbestos can be absorbed into the environment in a variety ways, including as airborne particles. It can also be released into soil or water. This can be caused by natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes at landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is largely associated with natural weathering, but has also been caused by human activities such as milling and mining, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping soils in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibers is the primary cause of illness for people exposed to asbestos in the workplace.
Crocidolite
Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most popular way people are exposed harmful fibres, which could then get into the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma as well as asbestosis and other illnesses are caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to the fibres can be triggered in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. The risks of exposure are greater when crocidolite, a asbestos in the blue form is involved. Crocidolite fibers are softer and less brittle making them more palatable to inhale. They also can get deeper inside lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma-related cases than other types of asbestos.
The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite and actinolite. The most common forms of asbestos are epoxiemite and chrysotile, which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos employed. The other four types haven't been as widely used, but they may still be found in older buildings. They are less hazardous than chrysotile or amosite but can still be a danger when mixed with other minerals, or when mined close to other mineral deposits such as talc and vermiculite.
Numerous studies have demonstrated an association between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. 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 have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95% confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.
IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma or other health issues, but the risks are different based on the amount of exposure that individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos used as well as the duration of exposure and the method by the way it is inhaled or ingested. IARC has declared that the best choice for individuals is to avoid all forms of asbestos. If someone 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 doctor or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphibole belongs to a group of minerals that form long prisms or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They usually have a monoclinic crystal structure, although 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 series of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another by octahedral sites in strips.
Amphibole minerals are prevalent in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are typically dark-colored and are hard. Because of their similar hardness and color, they could be difficult for some people to differentiate from Pyroxenes. They also share a similar design of cleavage. However their chemistry permits a wide range of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various mineral groups in amphibole can be used to identify them.
The five types of asbestos belonging to the amphibole family are amosite, anthophyllite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. Each type of asbestos has its own unique properties. The most hazardous type of asbestos, crocidolite is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lungs. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. This type was used to make cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles can be difficult to study due to their complex chemical structure and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires special methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. For instance, they cannot differentiate between magnesio-hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. Furthermore, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.