The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. Research shows that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.
You can't tell if something has asbestos just by looking at it, and you cannot taste or smell it. Asbestos can only be detected when the substances that contain it are broken or drilled.
Chrysotile
At the height of its use, chrysotile made the majority of the asbestos produced. It was employed in many industries including construction insulation, fireproofing and insulation. In the event that workers were exposed to the toxic material, they could 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 found in a variety of products we use in the present.
Chrysotile is safe to use in the event that you have a complete safety and handling plan in place. It has been proven that, at today's controlled exposure levels, there is no undue risk to the workers handling it. Inhaling airborne fibers has been found to be strongly linked with lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been confirmed for intensity (dose) as well as the duration of exposure.
One study that examined a facility that used nearly exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared mortality rates in this facility with national mortality rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile there was no significant increase in mortality in this factory.
Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other forms of asbestos. They are able to enter the lungs, and then pass through the bloodstream. This makes them much more prone to causing health consequences than longer fibres.
It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibres be a threat to the air or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are extensively used across the globe, especially in buildings such as schools and hospitals.
Research has shown that amphibole asbestos, such as amosite or crocidolite is not as likely to cause disease. These amphibole types are the main cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile and cement are mixed with cement, a tough, flexible product is created that is able to withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also simple to clean after use. Asbestos fibres can be easily removed by a professional, and then taken away.
Amosite
Asbestos refers to a set of silicate minerals with fibrous structure which are found naturally in a variety of types of rock formations. It is divided into six groups that 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 very fine to broad and straight to curled. kenosha asbestos lawsuit are present in nature as individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends called a fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can be found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite and are used in consumer products like baby powder, face powder and cosmetics.
Asbestos was extensively used in the first two thirds of the 20th century for shipbuilding insulation, fireproofing, insulation and various other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed to vermiculite or talc that was contaminated and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, era to era and even geographical location.
The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos were due to inhalation, but some workers were also exposed via skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos can be found in the air due to natural weathering and degrading of contaminated materials, such as ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These are the fibres that are not the tightly knit fibrils of the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the cliffs and mountains in a variety of countries.
Asbestos gets into the environment primarily as airborne particles, but it can also be absorbed into water and soil. This occurs both from natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing materials in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in surface and ground waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by humans, such as through mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the primary cause of illness among people exposed to it in their work.
Crocidolite
Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most frequent way people are exposed to the harmful fibres, which could then enter the lungs and cause serious health issues. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to fibers can occur in other ways as well, such as contact with contaminated clothing or materials. The risks of exposure are heightened when crocidolite (the asbestos' blue form, is involved. Crocidolite fibers are softer and less brittle and therefore easier to breathe in. They can also be lodged deeper within lung tissues. It has been linked to a higher number of mesothelioma-related cancers than any other form of asbestos.
The main kinds are chrysotile and amosite. Amosite and chrysotile are the most frequently used types of asbestos and make up 95% of all asbestos used in commercial construction. The other four asbestos types aren't as widespread, but they can still be present in older structures. They are less dangerous than amosite or chrysotile however they could still be dangerous when mixed with other minerals, or when mined near other mineral deposits such as talc and vermiculite.
Numerous studies have shown an association between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However the evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers as well as an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines 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 kind of asbestos is involved, and the length of time that exposure lasts. The IARC has recommended that abstaining from all asbestos forms should be the highest priority, as this is the safest option for those who are exposed. However, if a person has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory diseases it is recommended that they seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphibole is a group of minerals that form long prisms or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They usually possess a monoclinic crystal system however, some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains consist of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons, which are connected in rings of six. Tetrahedrons can be separated by strips of octahedral site.
Amphiboles occur in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark and hard. Due to their similarity of hardness and color, they can be difficult for some to distinguish from the pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding cleavage pattern. However their chemistry permits an array of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different minerals in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.
The five types of asbestos that belong to the amphibole group include amosite, anthophyllite and chrysotile and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. Each variety of asbestos has its own distinctive properties. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish color and is composed mostly of iron and magnesium. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles are difficult to analyze because of their complex chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals is a complex process that requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most widely used methods of identifying amphiboles. However, these methods only provide approximate identifications. For instance, they can't distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. These techniques also don't distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.