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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos was widely used in commercial products. According to research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.

It is impossible to determine if a product has asbestos just by looking at it, and you can't taste or smell it. It is only discovered when materials containing asbestos are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At the height of its use, chrysotile made the majority of asbestos production. It was utilized in a variety of industries which included construction insulation, fireproofing, as well as insulation. Unfortunately, if workers were exposed for long periods to this toxic material, they may develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Fortunately, the use this dangerous mineral has decreased significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to increase in the 1960's. However, traces of it are still found in the products we use today.

Chrysotile can be used in a safe manner in the event that a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. It has been proven that at the current controlled exposure levels, there isn't an danger to the people working with the substance. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma were all connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for both the intensity (dose) and time of exposure.

One study that studied a facility that used nearly all chrysotile as its friction materials, compared mortality rates in this facility with national death rates. It was discovered that, for 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile at low levels of exposure there was no significant increase in mortality in this particular factory.

Contrary to other types of asbestos lawsuit, chrysotile fibers tend to be shorter. They are able to penetrate the lungs, and then pass through the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health issues than fibres that are longer.

When chrysotile mixes with cement, it is very difficult for the fibres to become airborne and pose any health risks. The fibre cement products are used extensively throughout the world particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals.

Research has proven that amphibole asbestos, like amosite, crocidolite, or crocidolite, is less likely to cause diseases. These amphibole types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related illnesses. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it forms an extremely durable and flexible building product that can withstand extreme weather conditions and other environmental dangers. It is also simple to clean after use. Asbestos fibres can easily be removed by a professional and safely taken away.

Amosite

Asbestos refers to a group of silicate mineral fibrous that naturally occur in certain kinds of rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: amphibole, serpentine, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).

Asbestos minerals are composed of thin, long fibers that range in length from fine to wide. They can also be curled or straight. They are found in nature as individual fibrils or as bundles with splaying ends called a fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals are also found in powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder and are used in consumer products such as baby powder, face powder and cosmetics.

The heaviest asbestos use occurred during the first two-thirds period of the twentieth century where it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos exposures for work were in the air, however some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied from industry to industry, from era to and geographic location.

Most occupational exposures to asbestos were caused by inhalation, however some workers were also exposed by skin contact or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is only found in the natural environment due to natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products, such as ceiling and floor tiles as well as car brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.

There is emerging evidence that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These are fibres don't form the tightly woven fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the mountains 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 water and soil. This can be due to both natural (weathering of asbestos litigation-bearing rock) and 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 is also caused by humans, such as by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibers is the primary cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Crocidolite

Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most popular way people are exposed to dangerous fibres, which can then enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other diseases can be caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to fibers can occur in a variety of ways, for example, contact with contaminated clothing or materials. The risks of exposure are greater when crocidolite, a asbestos in the blue form, is involved. Crocidolite fibers are softer and less brittle and therefore easier to breathe in. They can also be lodged deeper in lung tissues. It has been linked to a greater number of mesothelioma-related cases than any other type of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite and asbestos attorney tremolite. They are epoxiemite, tremol anthophyllite and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are among the most commonly used types of asbestos and make up 95% of all asbestos attorney used in commercial construction. The other four asbestos types are not as widespread, but they can still be present in older structures. They are not as dangerous as chrysotile or amosite but can still pose a threat when mixed with other minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits such as talc and vermiculite.

Numerous studies have shown that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However, the evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have cited an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers, while others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent 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 as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, however the risks differ based on how much exposure, what kind of asbestos is involved and how long the exposure lasts. IARC has declared that the best choice for people is to avoid all forms of asbestos. If you have been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma condition, then you should see your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphibole is one of the minerals that form long prisms or needlelike crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral that is composed of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They typically have a monoclinic crystal structure however some may have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together by tetrahedron rings made of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another with octahedral strips.

Amphiboles can be found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark and hard. Because of their similar hardness and color, they could be difficult for some to differentiate from Pyroxenes. They also share a similar cleavage pattern. Their chemistry permits a wide variety of compositions. The various amphibole mineral groups are identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.

The five types of asbestos belonging to the amphibole family are chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. Each type of asbestos comes with its own distinctive properties. Crocidolite is the most dangerous asbestos kind. It is made up of sharp fibers that can be easily breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color and is made up of iron and magnesium. This type was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze because they have a complicated chemical structure and a variety of substitutions. A thorough analysis of composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized techniques. The most commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for example, cannot distinguish between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.