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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was a component in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. According to research, asbestos exposure can cause cancer and many other health problems.

It is impossible to determine if a product includes asbestos attorney by looking at it and you are unable to smell or taste it. It is only found when asbestos-containing materials are chipped, drilled or broken.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 95% of the asbestos created. It was utilized in a variety of industries which included construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. However, if workers were exposed to this toxic material, they may develop mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma first became an issue the use of asbestos has decreased significantly. However, trace amounts remain in products that we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use in the event that you have a complete safety and handling plan in place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't exposed to a significant amount of risk at current controlled exposure levels. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly linked to breathing airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed in terms of intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.

In one study mortality rates were compared between a factory which used largely chrysotile in the manufacture of friction materials and the national death rate. It was concluded that for 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile in low levels of exposure there was no significant extra mortality in the factory.

Chrysotile fibres are usually shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more likely to cause ill-health effects than fibrils with a longer length.

When chrysotile is mixed into cement, it's extremely difficult for the fibres to breathe and pose any health risks. Fibre cement products are used in various parts of the world including hospitals and schools.

Studies have shown that chrysotile's risk is lower to cause disease than amphibole asbestos such as crocidolite and amosite. Amphibole types like these are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-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 after use. Asbestos fibres can easily be removed by a professional and then safely taken away.

Amosite

Asbestos is a grouping of fibrous silicates found in a variety of rock formations. It is classified into six groups that include amphibole (serpentine) and the tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos minerals consist of thin, long fibers that vary in length from fine to wide. They can also be straight or curled. They are present in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles with splaying edges called a fibril matrix. Asbestos is also found in a powder form (talc) or combined with other minerals to form vermiculite or talcum powder. They are extensively used in consumer products such as baby powder, cosmetics and face powder.

Asbestos was heavily used in the first two thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos fibres occurred in the air, but certain workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and contaminated vermiculite. Exposures varied by industry, time and geographical location.

Exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mostly due to inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed by contact with their skin or through eating foods contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos can only be found in the environment due to natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products like ceiling and floor tiles automobile brakes and clutches, and insulation.

There is growing evidence that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres don't form the tightly weaved fibrils of serpentine and amphibole minerals, but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in cliffs, mountains and sandstones of a variety of countries.

Asbestos is absorbed into the environment mostly in the form of airborne particles, however it can also be absorbed into water and soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in surface and ground waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However it is also caused by anthropogeny, such as through mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the disposal of contaminated dumping materials in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Asbestos fibres that are emitted from the air are the most significant cause of illness among people who are exposed to it during their occupation.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most commonly used method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can enter the lungs which can cause serious health issues. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to fibres can occur in different ways too, for example, contact with contaminated clothing or materials. The dangers of this kind of exposure are higher when crocidolite, the asbestos in the blue form, is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and can get deeper in lung tissue. It has been associated with a higher number of mesothelioma related cases than any other type of asbestos.

The six major types are chrysotile as well as amosite. Chrysotile and amosite are among the most frequently used types of asbestos and make up 95% of all commercial asbestos that is used. The other four asbestos types aren't as prevalent, but could still be present in older structures. They are less dangerous than amosite and chrysotile, however they could pose a threat when mixed with other asbestos minerals or when mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, such as vermiculite or talc.

Numerous studies have proven the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is contradictory. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, whereas others report an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in chrysotile mines and mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma but the risk is different based on the amount of exposure is taken, what type of asbestos is involved, and how long the exposure lasts. The IARC has recommended that avoiding all forms of asbestos is the best option since this is the best option for people. If you've been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from respiratory issues or mesothelioma, you should consult your GP or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphibole is a class of minerals that form long prism or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic system of crystals, however some have an orthorhombic shape. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are composed of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons which are connected in rings of six. Tetrahedrons may be separated by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphibole minerals are prevalent in igneous and metamorphic rocks. They are usually dark and hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes as they share similar hardness and color. They also share a corresponding Cleavage. However their chemistry allows an array of compositions. The various mineral groups in amphibole can be identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures.

The five types of asbestos claim in the amphibole class include amosite, anthophyllite and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. Each type of asbestos comes with its own distinct properties. The most dangerous type of asbestos, crocidolite is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lung. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. This type was used to make cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are difficult to analyze because they have a complex chemical structures and many substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most widely used methods for identifying amphiboles. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. For example, these techniques cannot distinguish between magnesiohastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.