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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos
Asbestos was found in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer as well as other health issues.
It is impossible to determine if a product includes asbestos simply by looking at it and you are unable to taste or smell it. Asbestos can only be identified when the substances that contain it are broken, drilled, or chipped.
Chrysotile
At its peak, chrysotile made up for 99percent of the asbestos created. It was widely used in industries like construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they may develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma began to become an issue asbestos use has been reduced significantly. It is still found in a variety of products we use in the present.
Chrysotile is safe to use in the event that a thorough safety and handling plan is put in place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk at current safe exposure levels. The inhalation of airborne particles has been found to be strongly linked with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been confirmed for both intensity (dose) and time span of exposure.
In one study mortality rates were compared between a factory which used almost exclusively Chrysotile in the production of friction materials and the national death rate. It was discovered that, over the course of 40 years, processing asbestos chrysotile at a low level of exposure there was no significant extra mortality in the factory.
Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other types of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more prone to causing health effects than fibrils with a longer length.
It is very difficult for chrysotile fibres to be inhaled or to pose a health risk when mixed with cement. The fibre cement products are extensively used across the globe particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals.
Research has revealed that chrysotile's risk is lower to cause disease than amphibole asbestos such as amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole varieties are the main source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When the cement and chrysotile are combined, a durable product is produced that can withstand extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean up after use. Asbestos fibres are easily removed by a professional and safely disposed of.
Amosite
Asbestos is one of the groups of fibrous silicates that are found in various types of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine anthophyllite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite (IARC 1973).
Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibres that range in length from very fine to broad and straight to curled. They are found in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends called fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals can also be found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite which are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and baby powder.
The largest asbestos use was during the early two-thirds of the 20th century in the period when it was employed in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres that were borne in the air, but some workers were exposed to toxic talc or vermiculite, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied by the industry, time frame and geographic location.
The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mainly because of inhalation. However there are workers who have been exposed via skin contact or by eating food items contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is now only found in the the natural weathering of mined minerals and deterioration of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes, clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres are not the tightly interwoven fibrils that are found in the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the cliffs and mountains of several countries.
Asbestos may enter the environment in a variety of ways, including in the form of airborne particles. It is also able to leach into water or soil. This happens both through natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and the anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes at landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination in surface and ground waters is primarily caused through natural weathering. However, it has also been caused by anthropogeny, such as through milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the main cause of disease among those exposed to asbestos in their work.
Crocidolite
Inhalation exposure is the most commonly used method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can infiltrate the lung and cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other illnesses are caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos fibres could be experienced in other ways, including contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This kind of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are softer and less brittle which makes them more difficult to inhale. They can also get deeper into lung tissues. It has been linked to a higher number of mesothelioma related cases than any other type of asbestos.
The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite as well as epoxiemite. Tremolite is anthophyllite and actinolite. The most well-known asbestos types are epoxiemite as well as chrysotile which together make up the majority of commercial asbestos used. The other four have not been as widely used however, they could be found in older buildings. They are less dangerous than amosite or chrysotile but still pose a threat when mixed with other minerals, or when mined close to other mineral deposits like vermiculite and talc.
Several studies have found an association between exposure to asbestos and stomach cancer. A number of studies have confirmed that asbestos exposure is linked to stomach. The evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited a SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos legal workers, and others report an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those who work in chrysotile mills and mines.
IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all types of asbestos as carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma as well as other health issues, but the risks differ based on the amount of exposure that people are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved and the duration of their exposure and the method by the way it is inhaled or consumed. The IARC has advised that the prevention of all asbestos types should be the highest priority, as this is the most secure option for people. If you have been exposed to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma then you should consult your GP or NHS111.
Amphibole
Amphiboles are a collection of minerals that may form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a kind of inosilicate mineral that is composed of double chains of molecules of SiO4. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, however some have an orthorhombic shape. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains consist of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons, which are connected in rings of six. The tetrahedrons are separated from each other by octahedral sites that are surrounded by strips.
Amphibole minerals are found in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are typically dark-colored and hard. They can be difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes due to their similar hardness and colors. They also share a similar design of cleavage. Their chemistry allows a wide variety of compositions. The various mineral groups within amphibole are identified by their chemical compositions and crystal structures.
Amphibole asbestos is comprised of chrysotile as well as the five asbestos types: amosite anthophyllite (crocidolite) amosite (actinolite) and amosite. Each kind of asbestos has its own unique properties. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos kind. It is composed of sharp fibers that can be easily breathed into the lung. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish hue and is made mostly of iron and magnesium. This variety was once used in products like cement and insulation materials.
Amphiboles can be difficult to study because of their complex chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires special techniques. The most common methods of identifying amphiboles include EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques cannot differentiate between magnesio-hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. These techniques also don't differentiate between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.