The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was used in a variety of commercial products prior to when it was banned. According to research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and a host of other health issues.
It is difficult to tell if something includes asbestos simply by looking at it and you are unable to smell or taste it. It can only be found when materials containing asbestos are chipped, drilled or broken.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 95% of the asbestos created. It was widely used in industries which included construction, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, asbestos attorney they may develop mesothelioma and other asbestos litigation-related illnesses. Thankfully, the use of this toxic mineral has decreased drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to spread in the 1960’s. It is still found in many products we use in the present.
Chrysotile can be used in a safe manner when a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. Workers handling chrysotile are not exposed to an unreasonable amount of risk at the present safe exposure levels. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for the intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure.
In one study, mortality rates were compared between a facility which used almost exclusively chrysotile in the manufacture of friction materials and national death rates. The study revealed that after 40 years of processing at low levels of chrysotile there was no significant increase in mortality in this factory.
Chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter than other forms of asbestos attorney (http://www.huenhue.net). They are able to enter the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause ill-health consequences than longer fibres.
When chrysotile mixes with cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to air-borne and pose any health risks. Fibre cement products have been extensively used all over the world particularly in buildings like hospitals and schools.
Research has shown that amphibole asbestos such as amosite or crocidolite is less likely to cause diseases. These amphibole kinds have been the main source of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related illnesses. When cement and chrysotile mix, a durable product is produced that is able to withstand extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely remove asbestos fibres once they have been removed.
Amosite
Asbestos refers to a set of silicate fibrous minerals that are found naturally in specific types of rock formations. It is classified into six groups that include amphibole (serpentine), tremolite (tremolite) anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.
Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibers that range in length, ranging from very fine to wide and straight to curled. They are present in nature as individual fibrils or as bundles with splaying ends called fibril matrix. Asbestos is also found in a powder form (talc) or combined with other minerals to create vermiculite or talcum powder. They are extensively used as consumer goods, such as baby powder cosmetics and face powder.
The heaviest asbestos use was during the first two-thirds of the 20th century, when it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were airborne asbestos fibres, but some workers were exposed to vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied by industry, time and geographical location.
The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is usually because of inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed through skin contact or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos can be found in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined ore 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 the 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 in a variety of countries.
Asbestos gets into the environment primarily in the form of airborne particles, however it can also be absorbed into soil and water. This can be caused by natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is mostly a result of natural weathering, however it has also been caused by human activities such as milling and mining demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated dumping ground in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Exposure to asbestos-containing airborne fibres is still the primary cause of illness among people exposed to it occupationally.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most common way people are exposed to the harmful fibres. They can then be inhaled and cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other illnesses are caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos fibres could also take place in other ways, like contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. The dangers of this kind of exposure are higher when crocidolite, the asbestos’ blue form is involved. Crocidolite has smaller, more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe and can be lodged deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other types of asbestos.
The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are the most commonly used types of asbestos, and comprise 95% of all commercial asbestos in use. The other four types haven’t been as widely utilized however they can be present in older buildings. They are less harmful than amosite and chrysotile, but they can pose a risk when combined with other asbestos minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite.
Several studies have found an connection between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. Numerous studies have shown a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. However, the evidence is contradictory. Certain researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos and others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% 95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.
IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all kinds of asbestos carcinogenic. All types of asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other health issues, however the risks are different based on the amount of exposure people are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure and the way in which it is inhaled or ingested. IARC has declared that the best choice for people is to avoid all types of asbestos. However, if a person has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from an illness, such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory diseases it is recommended that they seek advice from their doctor or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals which can form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a kind of inosilicate mineral composed of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically have a monoclinic crystal system, although 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 are distinguished from one another by strips of octahedral sites.
Amphibole minerals are common in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark-colored and hard. Because of their similar hardness and color, they could be difficult for some to differentiate from the pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding the cleavage. However, their chemistry allows for an array of compositions. The various mineral groups within amphibole are identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.
Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five asbestos types: amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite) amosite (actinolite), asbestos attorney and amosite. Each variety of asbestos has its own distinctive properties. Crocidolite is among the most dangerous asbestos type. It contains sharp fibers that can easily be breathed into the lung. Anthophyllite can range from yellow to brown in color and is composed of magnesium and iron. This type was used to make cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complicated chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized methods. The most widely used methods for identifying amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance can’t distinguish between magnesio hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also cannot distinguish between ferro-hornblende and.