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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health problems.

It is not possible to tell by simply taking a look at something if it's made of asbestos. Also, you cannot smell or taste it. Asbestos is only detected when materials containing it are broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 90% of the asbestos produced. It was used by many industries including construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they could develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use this harmful mineral has diminished significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to grow 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. Chrysotile handling workers aren't exposed to a significant amount of risk based on the current limit of exposure. The inhalation of airborne fibres has been linked with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been confirmed both for the intensity (dose) as well as the duration of exposure.

A study that looked at an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile for manufacturing friction materials, compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality in this factory.

Contrary to other types of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be smaller. They can penetrate the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems over longer fibres.

It is very difficult for chrysotile fibers to be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are extensively used in many parts of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has revealed that chrysotile has a lower chance to cause disease than amphibole asbestos, such as crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and various asbestos-related illnesses. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it creates a tough, flexible building product that can withstand the most extreme weather conditions and other environmental dangers. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely eliminate asbestos fibres when they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicates found in certain types of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole, 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. They are found in nature in bundles or as individual fibrils. Asbestos is also found in a powder form (talc) or combined with other minerals to form talcum powder or vermiculite. They are used extensively as consumer goods, such as baby powder cosmetics and facial powder.

Asbestos was heavily used in the early two-thirds of the 20th century to construct construction of ships, insulation, fireproofing, and various other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-related exposures in the workplace occurred in the air, however certain workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied from industry to industry, from era to and geographic location.

Asbestos exposure in the workplace is mainly due to inhalation. However, some workers have been exposed through contact with skin or by eating food items contaminated with asbestos attorney. Asbestos can be found in the the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degradation of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes and clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.

It is becoming evident that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that do not form the tightly woven fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals, but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. They can be found in the mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones in a variety of countries.

Asbestos can enter the environment in a variety ways, including in the form of airborne particles. It can also be released into water or soil. This is caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However it is also caused by human activity, for instance through mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres is still the primary cause of illness in people who are exposed to asbestos on a daily basis.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most frequent method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lung, causing serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis and other diseases are caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos fibres could occur in different ways, like contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This kind of exposure is more dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are thinner and more fragile, making them easier to inhale. They also can get deeper within lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other types of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite and tremolite. They are epoxiemite, tremol anthophyllite and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are the most frequently used types of asbestos and account for 95 percent of all commercial asbestos currently used. The other four asbestos types aren't as common, but may still be present in older structures. They are less hazardous than chrysotile and amosite, but they could pose a threat when combined with other Asbestos Attorney minerals or mined close to other mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.

Many studies have discovered an association between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. A number of studies have confirmed that asbestos exposure is linked to stomach. However the evidence is not conclusive. Certain researchers have cited 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 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for workers in chrysotile mines or chrysotile mills.

IARC the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all types of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, but the risk is different based on the amount of exposure is taken, what type of asbestos is involved, and how long exposure lasts. IARC has stated that the best option for individuals is to avoid all forms of asbestos. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from an illness such as mesothelioma or other respiratory ailments and require advice, they should seek out guidance from their doctor or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals that form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic system of crystals, however 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 which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons are separated each other by octahedral sites that are surrounded by strips.

Amphiboles occur in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark and hard. They are sometimes difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and colors. They also have a comparable Cleavage. Their chemistry allows a wide variety of compositions. The different mineral groups in amphibole can be identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.

The five types of asbestos belonging to the amphibole family are amosite, anthophyllite and chrysotile and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. The most widely used asbestos type is chrysotile each type is unique in its own way. Crocidolite is considered to be the most hazardous asbestos kind. It has sharp fibers that can easily be breathed into the lung. Anthophyllite has a brownish to yellowish color and is made primarily of magnesium and iron. This kind of stone was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphiboles are a challenge to analyze because of their complex chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A detailed analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special techniques. The most common methods to identify amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance, cannot distinguish between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. Furthermore, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro hornblende and pargasite.