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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned, asbestos was still used in a variety of commercial products. According to research, asbestos exposure can cause cancer and a host of other health problems.
It is difficult to tell by looking at a thing if it is made up of asbestos. Also, you cannot smell or taste it. It can only be found when the asbestos-containing materials are chipped, drilled or broken.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 90% of the asbestos created. It was used in many industries, including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use this dangerous mineral has decreased dramatically since mesothelioma awareness began to increase in the 1960's. It is still found in many products we use today.
Chrysotile is safe to use with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put in place. It has been discovered that at the current controlled exposure levels, there is no danger to the people working with the substance. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven both for the intensity (dose) as well as the duration of exposure.
One study that looked into a factory that used almost all chrysotile as its friction materials, compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. It was concluded that over the course of 40 years, processing asbestos chrysotile at a low level of exposure there was no signifi cant extra mortality in the factory.
Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. knoxville asbestos law firm makes them much more likely to cause ill-health effects than fibrils with a longer length.
When chrysotile mixes with cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to become airborne and pose any health risks. Fibre cement products are extensively used all over the world particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals.
Research has demonstrated that amphibole asbestos, like amosite or crocidolite is less likely than chrysotile in causing diseases. Amphibole types like these are the primary cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is mixed in with cement, it creates a strong, flexible construction product that is able to withstand severe conditions in the weather and other environmental hazards. It is also simple to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional, and then eliminated.
Amosite
Asbestos is a grouping of fibrous silicates that are found in certain types of rock formations. It is divided into six groups which include amphibole (serpentine) and the 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 can be found in nature in bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals can be found in powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite, which have been widely used in consumer products like baby powder cosmetics, face powder and other.
Asbestos was widely used during the first two thirds of the 20th century for shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were asbestos fibres borne by air, but certain workers were exposed to vermiculite or talc that was contaminated as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied by industry, time and geographic location.
Exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mostly caused by inhalation. However there have been instances of workers being exposed through contact with skin or by eating food items contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is now only found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degradation of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes, clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.
There is evidence emerging that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't knit like the fibrils found in amphibole or serpentine, but are instead loose elastic, flexible, and needle-like. These fibres can be found in mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones of many countries.
Asbestos is able to enter the environment in a variety of ways, such as in airborne particles. It is also able to leach into water or soil. This is a result of both natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and the anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing materials in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in surface and ground waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However it is also caused by anthropogeny, such as by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the most significant reason for illness among those exposed to asbestos in their occupation.
Crocidolite
Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most frequent way people are exposed to dangerous fibres, which can then enter the lungs and cause serious health issues. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos fibers can occur in different ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The dangers of exposure are higher when crocidolite, a asbestos' blue form, is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are more easy to inhale and can lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to a larger number of mesothelioma-related cancers than any other type of asbestos.
The six primary kinds are chrysotile and amosite. Chrysotile and amosite are among the most frequently used types of asbestos and account for 95% of commercial asbestos that is used. The other four types of asbestos haven't been as widely used however, they could be found in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite or chrysotile but still be a danger when mixed with other minerals, or when mined close to other mineral deposits like vermiculite and talc.
Numerous studies have demonstrated an association between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. 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, and others report an SMR of 1,24 (95% confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those who work in chrysotile mills and mines.
IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all kinds of asbestos carcinogenic. All types of asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other health issues, however the risks are different based on the amount of exposure that individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos used and the duration of their exposure, and the manner in the way it is inhaled or consumed. The IARC has recommended that the prevention of all asbestos types is the best option since this is the most secure option for those who are exposed. However, if a person has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma, or other respiratory illnesses They should seek advice from their doctor or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals that may form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They usually possess a monoclinic crystal system however, some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains consist of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons, which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated by octahedral strips.
Amphiboles are found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark-colored and tough. They can be difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes because they have similar hardness and color. They also share a corresponding cleavage. Their chemistry can allow for a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the various mineral groups in amphibole could be used to determine their composition.
Amphibole asbestos comprises chrysotile and the five types of asbestos: amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. While the most popular asbestos type is chrysotile, each variety has its own distinct characteristics. The most harmful type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are simple to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite comes in a brownish-to yellowish color and is composed primarily of magnesium and iron. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles can be difficult to study due to their complicated chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole mineral requires specialized methods. The most popular methods to identify amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. For instance, they cannot distinguish between magnesiohastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. These techniques do not differentiate between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.