The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and many other health problems.
You can't tell if something has asbestos just by looking at it and you are unable to taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detected when the substances that contain it are broken or drilled.
Chrysotile
At its height, chrysotile comprised the majority of the asbestos produced. It was employed in many industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. If workers were exposed to this toxic material, they could contract mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Thankfully, the use of this toxic mineral has decreased drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to increase in the 1960's. It is still found in a variety of products we use in the present.
Chrysotile can be used in a safe manner if a thorough safety and handling plan is put into place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk based on the current controlled exposure levels. thornton asbestos attorneys of airborne fibres has been linked with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been proven both in terms of intensity (dose) as and the duration of exposure.
In one study mortality rates were compared among a factory which used largely Chrysotile in the production of friction materials and the national death rate. The study found that after 40 years of manufacturing low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality in this factory.
In contrast to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be smaller. They can pass through the lungs and enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues over longer fibres.
It is very difficult for chrysotile fibrous to be airborne or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are widely used in many parts of the world including hospitals and schools.
Research has shown that amphibole asbestos, such as amosite or crocidolite is not as likely than chrysotile in causing disease. Amphibole types like these are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is mixed in with cement, it creates an extremely durable and flexible building product that can withstand extreme conditions in the weather and other environmental hazards. It is also very easy to clean up after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional and then safely taken away.
Amosite
Asbestos is a class of fibrous silicates found in certain types rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: amphibole, serpentine, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).
Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibers 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 fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can be found in powder form (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, face powder and cosmetics.
Asbestos was heavily used in the first two thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were asbestos fibres borne by air, but certain workers were exposed to vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated and also to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry industry, era to era and geographic location.
Asbestos exposure in the workplace is mostly due to inhalation. However there are workers who have been exposed via skin contact or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos is currently only found in the the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degrading of contaminated materials like insulation, car brakes and clutches, as well as floor and ceiling tiles.
There is evidence to suggest that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that do not have the tight interwoven fibrils that are found in the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the cliffs and mountains of several 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 caused by natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and the anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing materials in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However it is also caused anthropogenically, such as through mining and milling 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 among people exposed to asbestos during their job.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most frequent method by which people are exposed to harmful fibres, which could then get into the lungs and cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma as well as asbestosis and other illnesses are caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibres can occur in other ways, too including contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The risks of exposure are greater when crocidolite, the asbestos' blue form is involved. Crocidolite fibers are less dense and more fragile and therefore easier to breathe. They can also get deeper in lung tissues. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other asbestos types.
The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. The most popular asbestos types are epoxiemite and chrysotile which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos used. The other four types haven't been as widely used, but they may still be found in older buildings. They are less dangerous than amosite or chrysotile however they could still be a danger when mixed with other minerals or when mined near other naturally occurring mineral deposits such as talc and vermiculite.
Numerous studies have shown an association between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent of the time CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers and others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% C.I. 0.76-2.5) for workers working in chrysotile mining and mills.
IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all types of asbestos as carcinogenic. All types of asbestos can cause mesothelioma or other health issues, but the risks vary according to how much exposure people are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure and the manner in which it is inhaled or ingested. IARC has declared that the best choice for people is to stay clear of all forms of asbestos. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory diseases They should seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphibole belongs to 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 have a monoclinic structure in their crystals, 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 that are linked in rings of six. The tetrahedrons are separated from one another by strips of octahedral sites.
Amphiboles occur in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark and hard. They can be difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes as they share similar hardness and color. They also have a comparable Cleavage. However their chemistry permits an array of compositions. The different minerals within amphibole can be identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.
The five asbestos types in the amphibole class include chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite as well as crocidolite and actinolite. Each variety of asbestos has its own unique properties. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lungs. Anthophyllite can range from yellow to brown in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. This type was used to make cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complex chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods of identifying amphiboles. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques cannot differentiate between magnesio-hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. These techniques also cannot distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.