The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Before it was banned, asbestos was still used in a variety of commercial products. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and many other health issues.
It is difficult to tell if something contains asbestos simply by looking at it and you won't be able to taste or smell it. It is only discovered when materials containing asbestos are drilled, chipped or broken.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile accounted for up 99% of asbestos production. It was employed in many industries which included construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma along with other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use of this dangerous mineral has decreased drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to grow in the 1960's. It is still present in many of the products we use today.
Chrysotile is safe to use in the event that you have a complete safety and handling plan in place. It has been found that at the current controlled exposure levels, there isn't an danger to the people working with it. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly linked to breathing airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for both the intensity (dose) and time of exposure.
One study that examined an industrial facility that used almost all chrysotile as its friction materials, compared mortality rates in this factory with national death rates. It was concluded that for 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile in low levels of exposure, there was no significant increase in mortality in this particular factory.
As opposed to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be shorter. They can enter the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more likely to cause health effects than longer fibres.
It is very difficult for chrysotile fibres to be airborne or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are extensively used throughout the world particularly in structures like hospitals and schools.
Research has proven that chrysotile is less prone to cause illness than amphibole asbestos, like amosite and crocidolite. Amphibole types like these are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile are mixed, a durable and flexible product is created that can withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. 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 term used to describe a class of silicate fibrous minerals that naturally occur in certain types of rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).
Asbestos minerals are composed of long, thin fibres that range in length from extremely fine to broad and straight to curled. They are present in nature as individual fibrils or as bundles with splaying ends called fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals are also found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder and are used in consumer products like baby powder cosmetics, face powder and other.
Asbestos was heavily used in the first two thirds of the 20th century for construction of ships insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were in the air, however some workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rocks and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied from industry to industry, from era to and also from geographical location.
The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mostly due to inhalation. However there have been instances of workers being exposed via skin contact or eating food that is contaminated. Asbestos is now only found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined ore and deterioration of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes, clutches, as well as floor and ceiling tiles.
There is growing evidence that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These fibres are not tightly woven like the fibrils found in amphibole and serpentine they are loose elastic, flexible, and needle-like. These fibers are found in the mountains and cliffs from a variety of countries.
Asbestos gets into the environment primarily as airborne particles, but it also leaches into water and soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However it can also be caused by humans, such as by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated waste in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres is the most common reason for illness among those exposed to it occupationally.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure is the most popular method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other illnesses are all caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to the fibres can be triggered in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is more dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are thinner and more fragile and therefore easier to breathe in. They can also get deeper in lung tissues. 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. The most common asbestos types are epoxiemite as well as chrysotile which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos employed. The other four types haven't been as widely utilized, but they may still be found in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite or chrysotile, but they can still be a danger when mixed with other minerals, or when mined close to other mineral deposits such as talc and vermiculite.
cape coral asbestos lawsuit have shown that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However, the evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers. However, others have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those who work in chrysotile mines and mills.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma however, the risk is dependent on how much exposure, what type of asbestos is involved, and how long exposure lasts. IARC has declared that the best option for people is to stay clear of all forms of asbestos. However, if a person has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma, or other respiratory conditions, they should seek guidance from their doctor or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that create prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type of silicate mineral that is composed of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, however some exhibit an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in a ring of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another by octahedral sites that are surrounded by strips.
Amphibole minerals can be found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. 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 the pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding the cleavage pattern. Their chemistry allows a wide variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various mineral groups found in amphibole may be used to identify them.
Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five types of asbestos: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite) amosite (actinolite), and amosite. Each type of asbestos has its own unique properties. The most dangerous form of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite comes in a brownish-to yellowish color and is made mostly of iron and magnesium. This variety was used to make cement and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals are difficult to analyze due to their a complicated chemical structure and numerous substitutions. A detailed analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires special techniques. The most commonly used methods to identify amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques are unable to distinguish between magnesio-hastingsite from magnesio-hornblende. Additionally, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.