The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.
You cannot tell if something has asbestos just simply by looking at it and you can't taste or smell it. Asbestos can only be identified when materials containing it are broken, drilled, or chipped.
Chrysotile
At its height, chrysotile provided for 95% of the asbestos created. It was widely used in industries which included construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. However, if workers were exposed for long periods to this toxic substance, they could develop mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma was first becoming a concern asbestos use has been reduced significantly. It is still found in many of the 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 proven that, at today's controlled exposure levels, there isn't an danger to the people who handle the substance. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have been strongly associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for both intensity (dose) and time span of exposure.
In one study, mortality rates were compared among a factory which used largely chlorosotile to make friction materials and national death rates. It was concluded that for the 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile in low levels of exposure, there was no significant excess 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 more likely to cause health issues than longer fibres.
When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it's very difficult for the fibres to be airborne and pose any health risks. Fibre cement products are extensively used throughout the world particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals.
Research has proven that chrysotile is less prone to cause disease than amphibole asbestos like crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole varieties are the main source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile mixes with cement, it forms a tough, flexible building product that is able to withstand severe weather conditions and other environmental dangers. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely remove asbestos fibres once they have been removed.
Amosite
Asbestos refers to a set of fibrous silicate minerals that are found naturally in specific kinds of rock formations. It is comprised of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC 1973).
Asbestos minerals are composed of long, thin fibres that vary in length from extremely fine to wide and straight to curled. These fibers are found in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles with splaying edges called a fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals are also found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite, which have been widely used in consumer products such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and other.
Asbestos was used extensively in the first two thirds of the 20th century for construction of ships insulation, fireproofing, insulation and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved airborne asbestos fibres, but certain workers were exposed to vermiculite or talc that was contaminated, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied from industry industry, from era to and geographic location.
Most asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were due to inhalation, but some workers were also exposed via skin contact or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos can only be found in the environment due to natural weathering and degrading of contaminated materials, such as ceiling and floor tiles automobile brakes and clutches as well as insulation.
It is becoming evident that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't weaved like the fibrils that are found in amphibole or serpentine, they are loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibers are found in the mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones of a variety of countries.
Asbestos enters the environment mainly as airborne particles, but it can also leach into soil and water. This can be due to both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in ground and surface waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However, it has also been caused anthropogenically, such as through mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated waste in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the primary reason for illness among those exposed to asbestos in their occupation.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure is the most popular method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can infiltrate the lung which can cause serious health issues. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos fibres can occur in different ways too including contact with contaminated clothing or materials. louisiana asbestos attorney of exposure is particularly dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are easy to breathe in and may lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma-related cases than other types of asbestos.
The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite and tremolite. They are epoxiemite, tremol anthophyllite and actinolite. The most commonly used asbestos types are epoxiemite and chrysotile, which together make up 95% all commercial asbestos used. The other four have not been as widely used however, they could be found in older buildings. They are less hazardous than chrysotile and amosite, but they may pose a danger when combined with other asbestos minerals, or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.
Several studies have found an connection between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. However there is no conclusive evidence. Some researchers have cited an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% of the time CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers and others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent CI: 0.76-2.5) for workers working in chrysotile mining and mills.
IARC the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all types of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, but the risks vary depending on the amount of exposure, what type of asbestos is involved, and how long exposure lasts. IARC has stated that the best choice for individuals is to stay clear of all types of asbestos. If you have been exposed to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory condition or mesothelioma, then you should see your physician or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphibole is one of the minerals that form long prisms or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They typically have a monoclinic crystal system but some also have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are made up of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons, which are connected in rings of six. Tetrahedrons may be separated by strips of octahedral site.
Amphibole minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are typically dark-colored and are hard. They can be difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes because they have similar hardness and color. They also have a comparable Cleavage. However, their chemistry allows for many different compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various minerals in amphibole can be used to identify them.
Amphibole asbestos includes chrysotile and the five types of asbestos: amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite) amosite (actinolite), and amosite. While the most commonly used form of asbestos is chrysotile. Each variety is unique in its own way. Crocidolite is considered to be the most hazardous asbestos type. It contains sharp fibers that are easily inhaled into the lungs. Anthophyllite ranges from brown to yellowish in color and is composed of magnesium and iron. This variety was once used in products like cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complex chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods of identifying amphiboles. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance, cannot distinguish between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. Furthermore, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.