The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned asbestos was still used in a variety of commercial products. According to research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and a host of other health issues.
You cannot tell by just looking at something whether it is made up of asbestos. It is also impossible to taste or smell it. It is only discovered when the asbestos-containing materials are chipped, drilled or broken.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile made the majority of asbestos production. It was used by many industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing, as well as insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined dramatically since mesothelioma awareness began to grow in the 1960's. However, trace amounts are still present in the products we use in the present.
Chrysotile can be used safely if a thorough safety and handling plan is put in place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't exposed to a significant amount of risk based on the current controlled exposure levels. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma were all connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for both the intensity (dose) and the duration of exposure.
In one study, mortality rates were compared between a manufacturing facility that primarily used chrysotile in the manufacture of friction materials and national death rates. The study found that after 40 years of processing at low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant rise in mortality in this factory.
As opposed to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be shorter. They can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause ill-health effects than fibrils with a longer length.
When chrysotile is mixed into cement, it's very difficult for the fibres to air-borne and cause health hazards. Fibre cement products are extensively utilized in many areas of the world, including schools and hospitals.
Research has shown that chrysotile's risk is lower to cause illness than amphibole asbestos, like crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole varieties are the primary source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile mixes with cement, it forms an extremely durable and flexible building product that is able to withstand severe weather conditions and other environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional and taken away.
Amosite
Asbestos is a class of fibrous silicates that are found in certain types of rock formations. It is classified into six groups which include amphibole (serpentine), Tremolite (tremolite) anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.
Asbestos minerals are composed of thin, long fibres that range in length from extremely fine to wide and straight to curled. These fibres are found in nature as individual fibrils or bundles with splaying edges called fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can be found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder, which have been widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder, and baby powder.
Asbestos was used extensively in the first two thirds of the 20th century for shipbuilding insulation, fireproofing, insulation and various other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved airborne asbestos fibres, but certain workers were exposed to contaminated vermiculite or talc and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time period, and geographic location.
The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos were due to inhalation, but certain workers were exposed via skin contact or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only present in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined minerals and the deterioration of products contaminated with asbestos such as insulation, car brakes and clutches, as well as floor and ceiling tiles.
It is becoming clear that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are the fibres that do not have the tight woven fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers are found in mountains, sandstones, and cliffs from a variety of nations.
Asbestos enters the environment mainly as airborne particles, but it also leaches into soil and water. This can be due to both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by human activity, for instance by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos during their work.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most frequent method by which people are exposed to harmful fibres. They can then get into the lungs and cause serious health issues. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. carmel asbestos attorneys to asbestos fibres can also take place in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is more dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are more easy to breathe in and can get deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.
The six main kinds are chrysotile and amosite. The most popular asbestos types are epoxiemite as well as chrysotile which together comprise the majority of commercial asbestos employed. The other four asbestos types aren't as common, but may still be present in older structures. They are not as hazardous as amosite and chrysotile, however they may pose a danger when mixed with other asbestos minerals or mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.
Numerous studies have shown that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence isn't unanimous. Certain researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent 95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers in chrysotile mines and mills.
IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all kinds of asbestos carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma or other health problems, but the risks vary according to how much exposure people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure and the method by the way that it is breathed in or consumed. The IARC has advised that avoiding all forms of asbestos should be the top priority, as this is the most safe option for individuals. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from respiratory issues or mesothelioma then you should talk to your doctor or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that may form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a type of silicate mineral made up of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, but certain crystals have an orthorhombic form. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in rings of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons are separated by strips of octahedral sites.
Amphibole minerals are found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are usually dark-colored and are hard. They can be difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and colors. They also share a corresponding cleavage. Their chemistry permits a wide variety of compositions. The various amphibole mineral groups are identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.
The five asbestos types belonging to the amphibole family are chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite, crocidolite, and actinolite. Each variety of asbestos has its own distinct properties. The most hazardous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish hue and is made mostly of iron and magnesium. This kind of stone was used to create cement and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals can be difficult to analyze because they have a complicated chemical structure and many substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most widely used methods for identifying amphiboles. 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 as well as pargasite.