The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. Research suggests that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.
You cannot tell by just looking at something whether it is made of asbestos. You cannot smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be identified when materials containing it are broken or drilled.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile accounted for up 99% of asbestos production. It was widely used in industries including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they may develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related illnesses. Fortunately, the use of this dangerous mineral has decreased drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to spread in the 1960's. However, traces of it are still present in many of the 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 proven that, at the present controlled exposure levels, there isn't an danger to the people working with the substance. The inhalation of airborne fibres is strongly linked to lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been confirmed in terms of intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure.
One study that studied a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared mortality rates in this factory with national mortality rates. It was concluded that for 40 years of preparing asbestos chrysotile at a low level of exposure There was no significant excess mortality in this factory.
Chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them more prone to causing health effects than fibres with longer lengths.
When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it's very difficult for the fibres to become airborne and cause health hazards. Fibre cement products have been extensively used across the globe, especially in buildings such as schools and hospitals.
Studies have shown that chrysotile's risk is lower to cause disease than amphibole asbestos like crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole types are the primary cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When the cement and chrysotile are combined, a durable and flexible material is created which is able to withstand the most extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also simple to clean after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.
Amosite
Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicate minerals which are found naturally in a variety of kinds of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine anthophyllite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite (IARC 1973).
Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibres that vary in length from very thin to broad and straight to curled. They are present in nature as individual fibrils or bundles with splaying edges called a fibril matrix. Asbestos can also be found in powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals to create talcum powder or vermiculite. They are extensively used in consumer products including baby powder, cosmetics and facial powder.
Asbestos was heavily used in the early two-thirds of the 20th century for shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos fibres occurred in the air, however some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied according to the industry, time frame, and geographic location.
The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos were because of inhalation, but some workers were also exposed via skin contact or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only found in the environment because of natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated, such as ceiling and floor tiles as well as car brakes and clutches, and insulation.
There is growing evidence that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres are not the tightly interwoven fibrils that are found in the amphibole and serpentine minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. They can be found in the cliffs, mountains and sandstones of a variety of countries.
Asbestos may enter the environment in a variety ways, such as in airborne particles. It can also leach out into water or soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is typically a result of natural weathering, however it has also been triggered by anthropogenic activities such as milling and mining, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the primary cause of illness in people who are exposed to it during their occupation.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most frequent method by which people are exposed to dangerous fibres, which can then be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma as well as asbestosis and other illnesses are all caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to the fibres can also take place in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The dangers of exposure are greater when crocidolite which is the asbestos in the blue form, is involved. Crocidolite fibers are smaller and more fragile which makes them more difficult to inhale. pompano beach asbestos attorneys can get deeper inside lung tissues. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other asbestos types.
The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are among the most commonly used forms of asbestos and account for 95% of all commercial asbestos currently used. The other four asbestos types aren't as widespread, but they can still be found in older structures. They are less harmful than amosite and chrysotile. However, they could be a risk when combined with other asbestos minerals or mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite.
Many studies have discovered an connection between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. Numerous studies have shown a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. The evidence isn't unanimous. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, while others report an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in chrysotile mills and mines.
IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all types of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma but the risks vary depending on how much exposure is taken, what type of asbestos is involved, and the length of time that exposure lasts. IARC has stated that the best choice for people is to avoid all forms of asbestos. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory illness or mesothelioma, then you should see your physician or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphibole is one of the minerals that form long prisms or needlelike 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, which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons are separated by octahedral strips.
Amphiboles occur in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark-colored and are hard. Due to their similarity in strength and colour, they can be difficult for some people to differentiate from pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding cleavage pattern. However their chemistry allows the use of a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various minerals in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.
The five asbestos types in the amphibole family include amosite, anthophyllite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. While the most popular asbestos type is chrysotile; each has its own unique characteristics. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite can range from yellow to brown in color and is composed of magnesium and iron. It was previously used in cement and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze due to their complex chemical structures and a variety of substitutions. A thorough analysis of composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques cannot differentiate between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.