The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned asbestos was used in thousands commercial products. Research has shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.
It is impossible to determine if a product contains asbestos simply by looking at it and you cannot taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detectable when the substances that contain it are broken or drilled.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile made the majority of the asbestos produced. It was used in many industries, including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they may develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma became an issue, the use of asbestos has declined significantly. It is still present in a variety of products we use today.
Chrysotile can be used safely when a thorough safety and handling plan is put in place. It has been determined that at the present exposure levels, there is no danger to those working with the substance. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma were all associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven to be true for both intensity (dose) and time span of exposure.
One study that studied a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile in the production of friction materials, compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. The study revealed that after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant increase in mortality rates in this factory.
Contrary to other types 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 be airborne or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are used in various parts of the world including hospitals and schools.
Research has demonstrated that amphibole asbestos, like amosite or crocidolite is not as likely than chrysotile in causing disease. Amphibole asbestos types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and various asbestos-related illnesses. When cement and chrysotile are mixed with cement, a tough product is produced which is able to withstand the most extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. 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 a variety of rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC 1973).
Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibres that range in length from extremely thin to broad and straight to curled. These fibres are found in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends called fibril matrix. Asbestos can also be found in a powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals in order to create vermiculite or talcum powder. These are widely used in consumer products such as baby powder, cosmetics, and even face powder.
The largest asbestos use was during the early two-thirds of the twentieth century in the period when it was employed in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-related exposures in the workplace occurred in the air, however some workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rocks and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied from industry industry, era to era, and geographical location.
Most of the asbestos exposures that workers were exposed to was due to inhalation, but certain workers were exposed by skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is currently only found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degrading of contaminated materials like insulation, car brakes, clutches as well as ceiling and floor tiles.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that are not 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 is able to enter the environment in a variety of ways, including through airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into water or soil. This can be due to both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is mostly a result of natural weathering. However, it has also been triggered by anthropogenic activities such as mining and milling, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping ground in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). boynton beach asbestos attorneys to asbestos-containing airborne fibres remains the main cause of illness among people who are exposed to asbestos on a daily basis.
Crocidolite
Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most popular way people are exposed to the harmful fibres that can then get into the lungs and cause serious health issues. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. The exposure to asbestos can happen in a variety of ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing, or building materials. The dangers of exposure are greater when crocidolite, the asbestos in the blue form, is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and may lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma-related cases than other types of asbestos.
The six major types are chrysotile as well as amosite. Amosite and chrysotile are the most commonly used forms of asbestos and account for 95% of asbestos used in commercial construction. The other four have not been as extensively used however, they could be present in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite and chrysotile. However, they can pose a risk when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as vermiculite or talc.
Numerous studies have revealed the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have reported an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers and others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent C.I. 0.76-2.5) for workers working in chrysotile mining and mills.
IARC the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All types of asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other health problems, but the risks differ based on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the type of asbestos used and the duration of their exposure and the method by which it is inhaled or ingested. The IARC has recommended that abstaining from all asbestos forms is the best option, as this is the most secure option for individuals. If you've been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory illness or mesothelioma, you should consult your GP or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals which can create prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type inosilicate mineral that is composed of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They are a monoclinic system of crystals, however certain crystals have an orthorhombic form. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are made up of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons that are joined in rings of six. Tetrahedrons may be separated by octahedral strips.
Amphibole minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark-colored and hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes as they share similar hardness and color. They also have a similar cleavage. Their chemistry allows for a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the different mineral groups found in amphibole may be used to determine their composition.
The five types of asbestos in the amphibole family include amosite, anthophyllite and chrysotile, crocidolite, and actinolite. While the most popular form of asbestos is chrysotile, each variety has distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos type. It is composed of sharp fibers which are easily inhaled into the lung. Anthophyllite comes in a brownish-to yellowish color and is made primarily of magnesium and iron. This kind of material was used to create cement and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze due to their an intricate chemical structure and many substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods for identifying amphiboles. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques cannot differentiate between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and.