The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos legal was widely used in commercial products. Research has shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health problems.

It is difficult to tell by looking at something if it's made of asbestos. You cannot taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detected when the materials that contain it are broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up 99% of asbestos production. It was widely used in industries like construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they could develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma became a concern, the use of asbestos has been reduced significantly. It is still present in many of the products we use in the present.

Chrysotile can be used safely when a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. It has been determined that, at the present controlled exposure levels, there is no danger to those working with the substance. Inhaling airborne fibers is strongly linked to lung cancer and lung fibrosis. This has been proven to be true for both the intensity (dose) and duration of exposure.

A study that looked at a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared mortality rates in this factory with national mortality rates. The study found that, after 40 years of converting low levels of chrysotile there was no significant increase in mortality rates in this factory.

Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other forms of asbestos. They are able to enter the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more likely to cause ill-health effects than fibres with longer lengths.

When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to become airborne and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products are widely utilized in many areas of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has revealed that chrysotile is less prone to cause illness than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole forms have been the primary cause of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related illnesses. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it forms a tough, flexible building product that can withstand harsh conditions in the weather and other environmental dangers. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely dispose of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is one of the groups of fibrous silicates found in certain types rock formations. It is divided into six groups: amphibole (serpentine), Tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibers that range in length, ranging from very fine to broad and straight to curled. These fibers are found in nature as individual fibrils or as bundles that have splaying ends, referred to as fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can also be found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder which are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and baby powder.

Asbestos was used extensively in the early two-thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres borne by air, but some workers were exposed vermiculite or talc that was contaminated and also to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time, and geographic location.

The exposure to asbestos at work is mostly due to inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed via skin contact or by eating food items contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only present in the air due to the natural weathering of mined minerals and the deterioration of products contaminated with asbestos such as insulation, car brakes, clutches as well as ceiling and floor tiles.

There is evidence to suggest that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't weaved like the fibrils that are found in serpentine and amphibole, they are loose, flexible, and needle-like. These fibers are found in the cliffs and mountains from a variety of countries.

Asbestos gets into the environment primarily in the form of airborne particles, however it also leaches into water and soil. This is caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is largely associated with natural weathering, however it has also been caused by anthropogenic activities like milling and mining, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated soils for disposal in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is the most common cause of illness for people exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Crocidolite

Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most frequent way people are exposed to harmful fibres that can then get into the lungs and cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other diseases are all caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos fibres could occur in different ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The dangers of exposure are heightened when crocidolite, the asbestos that is blue is involved. Crocidolite fibers are less dense and more fragile, making them easier to breathe in. They can also get deeper within lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other types of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite. The most popular asbestos types are chrysotile and epoxiemite, which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos employed. The other four types of asbestos haven't been as widely used however, they could be present in older buildings. They are not as hazardous as amosite and chrysotile. However, they can pose a risk when combined with other asbestos minerals or when mined close to other mineral deposits, such as vermiculite or talc.

Numerous studies have revealed an association 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 percent of the time CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% of the CI = 0.76-2.5) for those who work in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all types of asbestos as carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos law could cause mesothelioma or other health issues, although the risks differ based on how much exposure individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure and the method by the way that it is breathed in or consumed. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types is the best option, as this is the most secure option for people. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from a condition such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory diseases it is recommended that they seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphibole belongs to a group of minerals that form long prism or needle-like crystals. They are a type inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically possess a monoclinic crystal system but some also 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 in rings of six tetrahedrons. Tetrahedrons are distinguished from one another by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphiboles are present in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark and hard. They are sometimes difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes as they share similar hardness and colors. They also have a similar the cleavage. Their chemistry can allow for a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different mineral groups in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.

Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five asbestos types amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite) and amosite. The most widely used form of asbestos is chrysotile, each variety has distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos type. It is composed of sharp fibers that can easily be breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color and is composed of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in cement-based products and insulation materials.

Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complicated chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires special techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for example can't distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and pargasite.