The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned, asbestos was used in a myriad of commercial products. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer, as well as other health issues.
It is difficult to tell by looking at a thing if it is made up of asbestos. It is also impossible to smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be detected when the substances that contain it are broken or drilled.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile made up for 95% of the asbestos created. It was utilized in a variety of industries which included construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to increase in the 1960's. It is still present in many products we use in the present.
Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling program in place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't exposed to an unreasonable amount of risk at the present safe exposure levels. Inhaling airborne fibers has been found to be strongly linked with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been proven to be true for both the intensity (dose) and duration of exposure.
One study that looked into an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared mortality rates in this facility with national death rates. It was found that, over the course of 40 years, processing chrysotile asbestos at low levels of exposure, there was no significant extra mortality in the factory.
Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other types of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health problems over longer fibres.
When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it is very difficult for the fibres to breathe and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products are extensively used in various parts of the world including hospitals and schools.
Research has shown that chrysotile is less prone to cause disease than amphibole asbestos like crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole varieties are the main source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When the cement and chrysotile are combined and cured, a tough product is produced that can withstand extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also very easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely remove asbestos fibres once they have been removed.
Amosite
Asbestos refers to a group of silicate fibrous minerals that occur naturally in certain kinds of rock formations. It is divided into six groups which include amphibole (serpentine) and the tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.
Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibers that vary in length from fine to broad. They can also be curled or straight. These fibres can be found in nature in bundles, or as individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals can also be found in powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder which are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and baby powder.
The heaviest use of asbestos occurred in the first two-thirds of twentieth century when it was utilized in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-related exposures in the workplace occurred in the air, however some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied by the industry, time frame and geographic location.
Most of the occupational exposures to asbestos were due to inhalation. However, certain workers were exposed by skin contact or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is found in the environment due to natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated like ceiling and floor tiles, car brakes and clutches as well as insulation.
It is becoming clear that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that are not the tightly woven fibrils of the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibers are found in the mountains, sandstones, and cliffs from a variety of nations.
Asbestos can enter the environment in many ways, including in the form of airborne particles. It is also able to leach into water or soil. This is a result of both natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes at landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is typically a result of natural weathering, but has also been triggered by anthropogenic activities like mining and milling, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres is the most common reason for illness among those exposed to asbestos at work.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure is the most commonly used method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lungs, causing serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other diseases are all caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to the fibres can be experienced in other ways, including contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. This type of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easy to breathe in and may lodge deeper in lung tissue. mountain view asbestos law firm has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other asbestos types.
The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite as well as epoxiemite. Tremolite is anthophyllite, and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most frequently used types of asbestos and account for 95% of the commercial asbestos currently used. The other four types haven't been as popularly used but they can be present in older buildings. They are less dangerous than chrysotile or amosite but can still pose a threat when combined with other minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits such as talc and vermiculite.
Many studies have discovered an connection between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. Numerous studies have shown a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. However the evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers, while others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent C.I. 0.76-2.5) for workers working in chrysotile mining 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 how much exposure, what type of asbestos is involved and the length of time that exposure lasts. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types should be the top priority since this is the most secure option for people. If you've been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from respiratory issues or mesothelioma, you should consult your GP or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphibole is one of the minerals that form long prisms or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They are a monoclinic system of crystals, but some have an orthorhombic shape. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains consist of (Si,Al)O4 tetrahedrons that are linked in rings of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated by octahedral strips.
Amphibole minerals can be found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark and hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes due to their similar hardness and color. They also have a similar cut. However their chemistry permits an array of compositions. The different mineral groups within amphibole are identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.
Amphibole asbestos includes chrysotile and the five asbestos types: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite) and amosite. While the most commonly used form of asbestos is chrysotile; each has distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is considered to be the most hazardous asbestos kind. It is made up of sharp fibers that are easily breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. It was previously used in products like cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles are difficult to analyze because of their complex chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special techniques. The most common methods for identifying amphiboles is EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these methods can't distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. Additionally, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.