The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was found in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and many other health issues.

It is not possible to tell by simply taking a look at something if it contains asbestos. You cannot taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detected when materials containing it are broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At the height of its use, chrysotile made the majority of the asbestos produced. It was utilized in a variety of industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they can develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma began to become a major concern asbestos use has been drastically reduced. However, trace amounts of it are still present in products that we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use when a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. Chrysotile handling workers aren't at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk at the current limit of exposure. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have been strongly connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for both intensity (dose) and time span of exposure.

A study that looked at an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared the mortality rates of this factory with national death rates. The study found that, after 40 years of manufacturing low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality rates in this factory.

Chrysotile fibers are generally shorter than other types of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs, and enter the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause ill-health effects than fibrils with a longer length.

When chrysotile mixes with cement, it's extremely difficult for the fibres to air-borne and cause health hazards. Fibre cement products have been used extensively throughout the world particularly in structures like hospitals and schools.

Research has shown that amphibole asbestos such as crocidolite or amosite is less likely than chrysotile in causing diseases. These amphibole types have been the most common source of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile are mixed with cement, a tough and flexible material is created which is able to withstand the most extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also simple to clean after use. Asbestos fibres can be easily removed by a professional and safely disposed of.

Amosite

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

Asbestos minerals are composed of thin, long fibres that range in length, ranging from very fine to wide and straight to curled. They are found in nature as individual fibrils, or as bundles with splaying ends referred to as fibril matrix. Asbestos can also be found in powder form (talc), or combined with other minerals in order to create vermiculite or talcum powder. These are commonly used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics and face powder.

Asbestos was extensively used in the first two thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos claim-related exposures in the workplace occurred in the air, but some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rocks and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied from industry industry, era to and geographic location.

Most of the asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were due to inhalation. However, some workers were also exposed by skin contact or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos can be found in the air due to natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products like ceiling and floor tiles, car brakes and clutches, and insulation.

There is evidence to suggest that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that don't form the tightly woven fibrils of the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibres are found in the mountains and cliffs of several countries.

Asbestos is able to enter the environment in a variety ways, including through airborne particles. It can also be released into soil or water. This can be triggered by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is mostly due to natural weathering, but it has also been triggered by anthropogenic activities such as milling and mining demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated soils for disposal in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Exposure to asbestos-containing airborne fibres remains the main cause of illness among 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 problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other diseases can be caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos can happen in other ways, too, for example, contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The dangers of exposure are more pronounced when crocidolite, a asbestos that is blue, is involved. Crocidolite fibers are smaller and more fragile making them more palatable to inhale. They also can get deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other asbestos types.

The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile amosite and tremolite. They are epoxiemite, tremol anthophyllite, and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most frequently used types of asbestos and make up 95% of commercial asbestos in use. The other four asbestos types are not as common, but may still be found in older structures. They are less hazardous than amosite and chrysotile, but they may pose a danger when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, like talc or vermiculite.

Numerous studies have shown that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers and others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95% 95% CI: 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC The IARC, also known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all kinds of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos settlement types can cause mesothelioma however the risks differ based on the amount of exposure, what kind of asbestos is involved and how long the exposure lasts. IARC has declared that the best choice for individuals is to stay clear of all types of asbestos. If you've been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory condition or mesothelioma then you should seek advice from your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are groups of minerals that form needle-like or prism-like crystals. They are a type of silicate mineral made up of two chains of molecules of SiO4. They typically have a monoclinic structure in their crystals however, some 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. The tetrahedrons are separated by octahedral strips.

Amphiboles are present in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are typically dark-colored and are hard. Due to their similarity of hardness and colour, they can be difficult for some people to distinguish from Pyroxenes. They also share a similar cleavage pattern. However their chemistry allows many different compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different minerals in amphibole can be used to identify them.

Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five asbestos types amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. While the most popular form of asbestos is chrysotile; each has its own unique characteristics. Crocidolite is considered to be the most hazardous asbestos type. It is composed of sharp fibers which are easily breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite is a brownish to yellowish hue and is comprised mostly of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are hard to study because of their a complicated chemical structure and many 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 commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles. However, these methods can only give approximate identifications. These techniques, for example can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and hastingsite. Moreover, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.