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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. Research suggests that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.

It is difficult to tell by looking at something if it contains asbestos. Neither can you taste or mesothelioma smell it. Asbestos is only detectable when the substances that contain it are broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up for 99% of the asbestos produced. It was used in many industries including construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers were exposed to this toxic material, they could contract mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to grow in the 1960's. It is still found in a variety of products we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use if you have a comprehensive safety and handling program in place. It has been found that at the present exposure levels, there is no unneeded risk to the people working with the substance. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma were all linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.

In one study, mortality rates were compared between a factory which used largely Chrysotile for the production of friction materials and national death rates. The study concluded that, after 40 years of processing at low levels of chrysotile, there was no significant increase in mortality in this factory.

Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs, and even enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health issues than longer fibres.

It is very difficult for chrysotile fibers to be a threat to the air 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.

Research has proven that amphibole asbestos, like amosite, crocidolite, or crocidolite, is less likely than chrysotile in causing disease. These amphibole kinds have been the main cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile is combined with cement, it forms an extremely durable and flexible building product that can withstand harsh weather conditions and other environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely eliminate asbestos fibres when they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a term used to describe a class of silicate minerals with fibrous structure that are found naturally in specific kinds of rock formations. It consists of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC 1973).

Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibers that vary in length, ranging from very fine to broad and straight to curled. These fibres can be found in nature in bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos is also found in powder form (talc), or combined with other minerals to create talcum powder or vermiculite. These are widely used in consumer products including baby powder, cosmetics and facial powder.

Asbestos was extensively used in the early two-thirds of the 20th century for shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were to asbestos settlement fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, from era to and geographic location.

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

There is evidence emerging that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These fibres are not tightly weaved like the fibrils that are found in amphibole or serpentine, but are instead loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibers are found in the cliffs and mountains from a variety of countries.

Asbestos may enter the environment in a variety of ways, including as airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into soil or water. This can be due to 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 waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However it is also caused by human activity, for instance by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated dumping materials in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is the most common reason for illness among those exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most commonly used method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. Exposure to fibers can occur in other ways, too like contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is particularly dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are thinner and more fragile which makes them more difficult to breathe. They can also get deeper within lung tissues. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other asbestos types.

The six main types are chrysotile, amosite and chrysotile. Chrysotile and amosite are among the most commonly used types of asbestos and make up 95% of all asbestos used in commercial construction. The other four asbestos types aren't as prevalent, but could still be present in older structures. They are less hazardous than amosite or chrysotile, but they can still be a risk when combined with other minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, such as vermiculite and talc.

Numerous studies have revealed the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. Certain researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent range of 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 workers working in chrysotile mining and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos may cause mesothelioma or other health issues, although the risk is dependent on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos used, the duration of their exposure and the way in which it is breathed in or ingested. The IARC has recommended that the prevention of all asbestos types should be the top priority since this is the most secure option for people. If someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma or other respiratory diseases, they should seek guidance from their physician or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals that can form needle-like or prism-like crystals. They are a type inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically have a monoclinic crystal structure however, 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, mesothelioma which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons can be separated from one another with octahedral strips.

Amphiboles can be found in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark-colored and tough. They can be difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes since they share similar hardness and colors. They also share a corresponding the cleavage pattern. However their chemistry allows the use of a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different mineral groups in amphibole could be used to determine their composition.

The five asbestos types that belong to the amphibole group include chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. The most widely used asbestos type is chrysotile. Each variety has its own distinct characteristics. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lung. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color and is made up of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are hard to analyze because they have a a complicated chemical structure and a variety of substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals is a complex process that requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. Additionally, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.