The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was a component in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. According to studies, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.
You cannot tell if something contains asbestos by looking at it and you cannot smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be detected when the substances that contain it are broken, drilled, or chipped.
Chrysotile
At its height, chrysotile was responsible for 99percent of the asbestos created. It was widely used in industries, including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they could develop mesothelioma along with other asbestos-related illnesses. Thankfully, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to increase in the 1960's. It is still present in many of the products we use in the present.
Chrysotile is safe to use if you have a comprehensive safety and handling plan in place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk at current limits of exposure. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma are all associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven both for intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.
In one study mortality rates were compared among a factory that primarily used Chrysotile in the production of friction materials and the national death rate. It was found that for the 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile in low levels of exposure there was no significant increase in mortality in this particular factory.
In contrast to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be shorter. They can pass through the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. This makes them more prone to cause negative consequences than longer fibres.
It is very difficult for chrysotile fibres be inhaled or to pose a health risk when mixed with cement. The fibre cement products are extensively used across the globe, especially in buildings like hospitals and schools.
Research has demonstrated that amphibole asbestos like amosite or crocidolite is not as likely than chrysotile in causing disease. These amphibole varieties are the main cause of mesothelioma, and other
asbestos law-related diseases. When chrysotile is combined 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 up after use. Asbestos fibres are easily removed by a professional and safely eliminated.
Amosite
Asbestos is a term used to describe a class of silicate mineral fibrous which are found naturally in a variety of kinds of rock formations. It is comprised of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole, tremolite, anthophyllite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).
Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibers that vary in length from fine to wide. They can be curled or straight. They are found in nature as individual fibrils, or as bundles with splaying ends called a fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals are also found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite that are widely used in consumer products such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder, and baby powder.
The greatest asbestos use occurred during the early two-thirds of the 20th century when it was utilized in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres in the air, however certain workers were exposed to vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated and also to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry industry, era era and even geographical location.
Most of the asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were due to inhalation. However, some workers were also exposed via skin contact or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos can only be found in the air due to natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated, such as ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches as well as insulation.
It is becoming clear that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't weaved like the fibrils that are found in amphibole and serpentine, but are instead loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibers are found in mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones of a variety of countries.
Asbestos may enter the environment in a variety of ways, such as in airborne particles. It can also leach out into water or soil. This can be caused by natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and ananthropogenic (disintegration and removal of asbestos-containing wastes from landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused through natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by humans, such as through the mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated waste in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Exposure to asbestos-containing airborne fibers is the primary reason for illness among those exposed to asbestos at work.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure is the most popular method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma, asbestosis and other illnesses are all caused by
asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibres can occur in a variety of ways, for example, contact with contaminated clothing, or building materials. This kind of exposure is more hazardous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are more easy to inhale and can lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other types of asbestos.
The six main types are chrysotile, amosite and chrysotile. Amosite and chrysotile are the most frequently used types of asbestos and make up 95% of all commercial asbestos that is used. The other four types haven't been as widely utilized however, they could be found in older buildings. They are less dangerous than chrysotile and amosite, but they could be a risk when combined with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, like talc or vermiculite.
Numerous studies have revealed an association between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. A number of studies have confirmed that asbestos exposure is linked to stomach. However, the evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have cited an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers, while others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent C.I. 0.76-2.5) for workers working in chrysotile mining and mills.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All types of asbestos can cause mesothelioma as well as other health issues, however the risk is dependent on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved, the duration of their exposure and the manner in which it is inhaled or ingested. IARC has declared that the best option for individuals is to avoid all types of asbestos. If someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from a condition such as mesothelioma, or other respiratory illnesses They should seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are groups of minerals that may form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic system of crystals, but some have an orthorhombic shape.