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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. According to research, asbestos exposure can cause cancer and many other health issues.

You can't tell if something has asbestos just simply by looking at it and you cannot taste or smell it. It is only discovered when materials containing asbestos are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up 99% of the asbestos production. It was used by many industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing and insulation. In the event that workers were exposed to the toxic substance, they could develop mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma was first becoming a major concern the use of asbestos has declined significantly. It is still found in many products we use today.

Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling plan in place. It has been proven that at the present exposure levels, there isn't an unneeded risk to the people who handle it. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for the intensity (dose) as well as the duration of exposure.

One study that examined a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials, compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. The study found that, after 40 years of manufacturing low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant increase in mortality at this factory.

In contrast to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter. They can enter the lungs, and even enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems than longer fibres.

When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it is very difficult for the fibres to breathe and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products are widely used in a variety of locations around the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has revealed that amphibole asbestos like crocidolite or amosite is less likely than chrysotile in causing diseases. These amphibole varieties are the main source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile are mixed, a durable, 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 fibres are easily removed by a professional, and then taken away.

Amosite

Asbestos is a term used to describe a class of silicate mineral fibrous that naturally occur in certain kinds of rock formations. It is classified into six groups including amphibole (serpentine), the tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibres that range in length from extremely fine to broad and straight to curled. They are found in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends referred to as fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals are also found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder and are used in consumer products like baby powder cosmetics, face powder and baby powder.

The greatest asbestos use occurred during the early two-thirds of the twentieth century where it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos exposures for work were in the air, but certain workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rocks and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied by industry, time period and geographical location.

Most asbestos exposures that workers were exposed to was caused by inhalation, however certain workers were exposed by skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos can be found in the air due to the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degradation of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes and clutches as well as ceiling and floor tiles.

It is becoming clear that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that don't form the tightly woven fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals, but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibers are found in mountains, sandstones, and cliffs in a variety of countries.

Asbestos enters the environment mainly in the form of airborne particles, however it also leaches into soil and water. This can be triggered by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However it is also caused by human activity, for instance by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated waste in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to asbestos fibres remains the main cause of illness among 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 infiltrate the lung, causing serious health problems. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to the fibres can be triggered in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. The dangers of this kind of exposure are higher when crocidolite, the asbestos in the blue form is involved. Crocidolite fibers are smaller and more fragile, making them easier to inhale. They also can get deeper within lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma-related cases than other asbestos types.

The six major types are chrysotile, amosite and chrysotile. The most commonly used forms of asbestos are epoxiemite as well as chrysotile which together make up the majority of commercial asbestos used. The other four asbestos types are not as well-known, but can still be present in older structures. They are not as dangerous as amosite or chrysotile but still pose a threat when mixed with other minerals, or when mined near other mineral deposits like talc and vermiculite.

Numerous studies have revealed the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence isn't unanimous. Some researchers have cited a 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 workers in chrysotile mines or chrysotile mills.

IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all types of asbestos carcinogenic. All types of asbestos can cause mesothelioma as well as other health issues, although the risk is dependent on the amount of exposure that individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos used as well as the length of their exposure and the way in which it is inhaled or consumed. IARC has stated that the best option for individuals is to stay clear of all types of asbestos. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from an illness, such as mesothelioma, or other respiratory conditions it is recommended that they seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that may form needle-like or prism-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic system of crystals, but certain crystals have an orthorhombic form. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in a ring of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons are separated by octahedral strips.

Amphiboles are present in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are usually dark and hard. Because of their similar hardness and colour, they can be difficult for some people to distinguish from pyroxenes. They also share a similar design of cleavage. However their chemistry allows the use of a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the various minerals in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.

The five asbestos types in the amphibole family include amosite, anthophyllite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. Each variety of asbestos has its own distinct properties. Crocidolite is among the most dangerous asbestos type. It is composed of sharp fibers that can be easily breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite ranges from brown to yellowish in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. This kind of material was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are difficult to analyze because they have a an intricate chemical structure and numerous substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special methods. The most popular methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance cannot differentiate between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques also do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and.