The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. Research suggests that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.
You cannot tell by just looking at something whether it contains asbestos. It is also impossible to taste or smell it. It is only found when materials containing asbestos are chipped, drilled or broken.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile made up for 90% of the asbestos produced. It was employed in many industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing, as well as insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use this harmful mineral has diminished drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to spread in the 1960's. It is still found in many of the products we use in the present.
Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling program in place. Chrysotile handling workers aren't exposed to a significant amount of risk at the present limit of exposure. Inhaling airborne fibres has been strongly associated with lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been proven in terms of intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.
In one study, mortality rates were compared between a factory that used a large proportion of chlorosotile to make friction materials and national death rates. It was discovered that, for 40 years of preparing asbestos chrysotile in low levels of exposure, there was no significant additional mortality in this factory.
Chrysotile fibres are usually shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can enter the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues over longer fibres.
It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibers to be airborne or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are extensively used in many parts of the world, including schools and hospitals.
Studies have shown that chrysotile's risk is lower to cause illness than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. Amphibole types like these are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it forms a strong, flexible construction product that can withstand harsh conditions in the weather and other environmental dangers. It is also easy to clean up after use. Asbestos fibers can be easily removed by a professional and then safely taken away.
Amosite
Asbestos is a category of silicate mineral fibrous which are found naturally in a variety of types of rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: amphibole, serpentine anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).
Asbestos minerals are composed of long, thin fibers that range in length from fine to broad. They can also be straight or curled. They can be found in nature in bundles or as individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals can be found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite and are used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and baby powder.
The largest use of asbestos was in the early two-thirds of the twentieth century, when it was used in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed vermiculite or talc that was contaminated as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied from industry industry, era to era and even geographical location.
Asbestos exposure at work is mostly due to inhalation. However there have been instances of workers being exposed through contact with skin or through eating foods contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only found in the air due to natural weathering and degradation of contaminated products like ceiling and floor tiles automobile brakes and clutches, and insulation.
There is evidence emerging that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't woven like the fibrils found in serpentine and amphibole, they are loose as well as flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the mountains, sandstones, and cliffs of a variety of countries.
Asbestos can be found in the environment as airborne particles, but it can also leach into soil and water. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is mostly a result of natural weathering, but has also been caused by human activities such as mining and milling demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing materials as well as the disposal of contaminated dumping ground in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the primary reason for illness among those exposed to asbestos during their job.
Crocidolite
Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most frequent method by which people are exposed harmful fibres that can be absorbed into the lungs and cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other diseases can be caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos fibres could also take place in other ways, including contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This kind of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are softer and less brittle which makes them more difficult to inhale. They also can get deeper in lung tissues. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.
melbourne asbestos law firm of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite, and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most frequently used types of asbestos and make up 95% of the commercial asbestos that is used. The other four types haven't been as widely utilized however, they could be present in older buildings. They are less dangerous than amosite or chrysotile, but they can still be dangerous when mixed with other minerals, or when mined close to other mineral deposits like talc and vermiculite.
Numerous studies have proven the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However there is no conclusive evidence. Some researchers have cited an overall 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% of the CI = 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, but the risk is different based on the amount of exposure, what type of asbestos is involved, and how long exposure lasts. The IARC has advised that avoiding all forms of asbestos should be the top priority because this is the best option for people. If someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from a condition such as mesothelioma, or other respiratory ailments it is recommended that they seek advice from their doctor or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphibole is a group of minerals that form long prisms or needlelike crystals. They are a kind of inosilicate mineral made up of double 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 contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together by tetrahedron rings made of six. The tetrahedrons are separated from each other by octahedral sites in strips.
Amphiboles are found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark-colored and are hard. They are sometimes difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes as they share similar hardness and colors. They also share a corresponding design of cleavage. Their chemistry permits a wide variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various minerals in amphibole can be used to identify them.
Amphibole asbestos is comprised of chrysotile as well as the five types of asbestos: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite) and amosite. Each variety of asbestos has its own distinct properties. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite is a brownish to yellowish color and is composed primarily of magnesium and iron. The variety was used previously in products like cement and insulation materials.
Amphibole minerals are difficult to study because of their complex chemical structures and many substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance, cannot distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio hastingsite. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.