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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned asbestos litigation was used in thousands commercial products. According to research, asbestos exposure can cause cancer, as well as other health problems.

You can't tell if something is asbestos-containing by looking at it and you can't smell or taste it. Asbestos is only detected when materials containing it are broken, drilled, or chipped.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile provided for 90% of the asbestos made. It was used by many industries which included construction insulation, fireproofing, as well as insulation. Unfortunately, if workers were exposed to the toxic material, they may develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma began to become a concern the use of asbestos lawsuit has been drastically reduced. However, trace amounts can still be found in products that we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use when you have a thorough safety and handling plan in place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't exposed to an undue amount of risk at the current limit of exposure. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have been strongly linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed both for intensity (dose) as and the duration of exposure.

One study that looked into an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile for manufacturing friction materials compared mortality rates in this facility 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 types of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. They are more likely to cause health issues than longer fibres.

It is very difficult for chrysotile fibres to be a threat to the air or pose any health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are widely used in various parts of the world including hospitals and schools.

Research has revealed that amphibole asbestos such as amosite, crocidolite, or crocidolite, is less likely than chrysotile to cause diseases. These amphibole varieties are the primary source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile and cement are mixed, a durable and flexible material is created that can withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos refers to a set of silicate fibrous minerals that occur naturally in certain kinds of rock formations. It is comprised of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite (IARC 1973).

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

The greatest use of asbestos occurred in the early two-thirds of the 20th century, when it was used in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing, and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed toxic talc or vermiculite and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time period, and geographic location.

The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mostly due to inhalation. However, some workers have been exposed through skin contact or eating contaminated foods. Asbestos is found in the natural environment due to natural weathering and degrading of contaminated materials, such as ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.

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

Asbestos can enter the environment in a variety ways, such as in airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into water or soil. This is a result of both natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic (disintegration and removal of asbestos-containing wastes from landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is mostly due to natural weathering, but it has also been caused by anthropogenic activities such as mining and milling demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials as well as the disposal of contaminated dumping soils in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the primary cause of illness among people exposed to asbestos during their work.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most popular way people are exposed to harmful fibres that can then enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other illnesses can be caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos Attorney fibres can occur in different ways too including contact with contaminated clothing or construction materials. This kind of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easy to breathe in and can get deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other asbestos types.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are the most frequently used types of asbestos. They comprise 95% of asbestos used in commercial construction. The other four asbestos types aren't as well-known, but can still be found in older structures. They are not as hazardous as amosite and chrysotile. However, they could pose a threat when combined with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, like talc or vermiculite.

Several studies have found an connection between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. A number of studies have confirmed that asbestos exposure is linked to stomach. The evidence isn't conclusive. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos as well as an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent CI: 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.

IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All types of asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other health problems, but the risk is dependent on the amount of exposure people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved, the duration of their exposure and the method by which it is inhaled or ingested. IARC has stated that the best choice for people is to avoid all types of asbestos. If you have been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory condition or mesothelioma then you should see your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphibole is a group of minerals that form long prism or needlelike crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral composed of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They usually have a monoclinic crystal structure however some may have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2.

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