The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. Research suggests that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.

You cannot tell by just taking a look at something if it is made up of asbestos. It is also impossible to smell or taste it. asbestos Attorney can only be identified when the material containing it is broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At the height of its use, chrysotile made the majority of asbestos production. It was widely used in industries like construction, insulation, and fireproofing. However, if workers were exposed to this toxic material, they may develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Thankfully, the use this toxic mineral has decreased dramatically since mesothelioma awareness began to spread in the 1960's. It is still present in a variety of products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling program in place. People who handle chrysotile do not exposed to an unreasonable amount of risk at current limit of exposure. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma were all linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for both intensity (dose) and duration of exposure.

In one study mortality rates were compared among a factory that used a large proportion of Chrysotile for the production of friction materials and national death rates. The study found that after 40 years of manufacturing low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant rise in mortality at this factory.

Unlike some other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be smaller. They can penetrate the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. This makes them more prone to cause negative effects than fibres with longer lengths.

It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibres to be airborne or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are used in various parts of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has revealed that amphibole asbestos, like amosite or crocidolite is less likely to cause diseases. These amphibole varieties are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it forms a strong, flexible building product that can withstand harsh weather conditions and other environmental dangers. It is also very easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely dispose of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a term used to describe a class of fibrous silicate minerals that occur naturally in certain kinds of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibres that range in length from extremely fine to wide and straight to curled. They can be found in nature in bundles, or asbestos attorney as individual fibrils. Asbestos can also be found in powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals in order to create talcum powder or vermiculite. These are widely used in consumer products including baby powder, cosmetics, and Asbestos Attorney face powder.

The greatest use of asbestos occurred in the first two-thirds of the 20th century in the period when it was employed in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed contaminated vermiculite or talc, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time period and geographical location.

Most occupational exposures to asbestos were caused by inhalation, however some workers were also exposed via skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is only found in the environment because of natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products like ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches, and insulation.

There is growing evidence that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that do not form the tightly interwoven fibrils that are found in the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers are found in the cliffs and mountains of several countries.

Asbestos may enter the environment in a variety ways, including in the form of airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into soil or water. This can be triggered by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily caused through natural weathering. However it can also be caused anthropogenically, such as through milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated waste in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is still the primary cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos at work.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most frequent method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can enter the lung, causing serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis and other illnesses can be caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibres can occur in other ways, too, for example, contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The risks of exposure are greater when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos, is involved. Crocidolite fibers are smaller and more fragile and therefore easier to breathe in. They can also get deeper inside lung tissues. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. The most commonly used forms of asbestos are epoxiemite and chrysotile which together make up the majority of commercial asbestos employed. The other four asbestos types are not as common, but may still be present in older structures. They are less harmful than amosite and chrysotile, but they may pose a danger when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite.

Numerous studies have proven that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos claim exposure. The evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent range of CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos as well as an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent 95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for those who work in chrysotile mines and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma however the risks differ based on the amount of exposure, what type of asbestos is involved, and how long exposure lasts. The IARC has recommended that abstaining from all asbestos forms is the best option, as this is the best option for individuals. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a condition such as mesothelioma or other respiratory conditions They should seek advice from their doctor or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles comprise a variety of minerals that can create prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, but some have an orthorhombic shape. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together by tetrahedron rings made of six. The tetrahedrons are separated from one another by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphibole minerals are found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are typically dark and hard. They can be difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and color. They also share a corresponding cleavage pattern. However their chemistry permits an array of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different mineral groups in amphibole could be used to identify them.

The five asbestos types belonging to the amphibole family are amosite, anthophyllite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. While the most popular asbestos type is chrysotile each type has its own unique characteristics. The most hazardous type of asbestos, crocidolite is made up of sharp fibers that are simple to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite comes in a brownish-to yellowish hue and is comprised mostly of iron and magnesium. This type was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complex chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these methods are unable to distinguish between magnesio-hastingsite from magnesio-hornblende. These techniques also don't distinguish between ferro-hornblende and.