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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos was widely used in commercial products. According to research, asbestos exposure can cause cancer and a host of other health issues.

It is impossible to tell just by looking at something if it contains asbestos. Neither can you taste or smell it. It can only be found in the event that asbestos claim-containing products are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made the majority of the asbestos produced. It was employed in many industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use this harmful mineral has diminished significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to grow in the 1960's. It is still found in a variety of products we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use provided you have a comprehensive safety and handling program in place. It has been determined that at the present exposure levels, there isn't an danger to the people who handle it. 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.

One study that studied a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials, compared mortality rates in this facility with national death rates. It was found that for the 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile in low levels of exposure there was no signifi cant extra mortality in the factory.

Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other types of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. This makes them much more likely to cause health effects than longer fibres.

It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibres be inhaled or to pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are extensively used throughout the world particularly in buildings like hospitals and schools.

Research has revealed that amphibole asbestos, like amosite or crocidolite is not as likely than chrysotile in causing disease. These amphibole types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile are mixed with cement, a tough product is produced that is able to withstand extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional and then safely disposed of.

Amosite

Asbestos is one of the groups of fibrous silicates that are found in certain types of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite (IARC, Asbestos 1973).

Asbestos minerals consist of thin, long fibers that range in length from fine to broad. They can also be curled or straight. They can be found in nature as bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos is also found in a powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals to form vermiculite or talcum powder. These are commonly used as consumer products, like baby powder, cosmetics, and face powder.

Asbestos was used extensively in the first two thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved airborne asbestos fibres, but some workers were exposed contaminated vermiculite or talc and also to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, era era and also from 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 natural environment due to natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products like ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches as well as insulation.

It is becoming evident that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that do not form the tightly interwoven fibrils that are found in the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the cliffs and mountains of several countries.

Asbestos is absorbed into the environment mostly as airborne particles, but it can also be absorbed into water and soil. This is caused 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 of ground and surface water is mostly a result of natural weathering, but has also been caused by human activities like mining and milling demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated dumping ground in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is the most common cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos at work.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most frequent method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can enter the lungs which can cause serious health issues. These include asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibres can also take place in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite has smaller, more fragile fibers, which are easier to inhale and can lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.

The main types are chrysotile as well as amosite. Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most commonly used forms of asbestos and account for 95% of the commercial asbestos in use. The other four asbestos types are not as widespread, but they can still be present in older structures. They are less dangerous than amosite or chrysotile however they could still pose a threat when mixed with other minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, such as talc and vermiculite.

Numerous studies have shown that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However there is no conclusive evidence. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos as well as an SMR of 1.24 (95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma or other health issues, but the risk is dependent on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved as well as the duration of exposure and the manner in which it is breathed in or consumed. IARC has declared that the best option for individuals is to stay clear of all types of asbestos. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma condition, then you should see your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphibole is a class of minerals that form long prisms or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral that is composed of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically possess a monoclinic crystal system but some also 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. Tetrahedrons may be separated by strips of octahedral site.

Amphiboles are found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark and hard. Because of their similar hardness and asbestos color, they could be difficult for some people to differentiate from pyroxenes. They also share a similar the cleavage pattern. However their chemistry permits an array of compositions. The various amphibole mineral groups are identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.

Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five types of asbestos amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. While the most frequently used form of asbestos is chrysotile, each variety has distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is among the most dangerous asbestos kind. It is made up of sharp fibers that can be easily inhaled into the lung. Anthophyllite ranges from brown to yellowish in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphiboles can be difficult to study because of their complex chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. The most popular methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques also cannot differentiate between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.