The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos was a component in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health issues.

It is difficult to tell if something is asbestos-containing by looking at it, and you cannot taste or smell it. It can only be found when the asbestos-containing materials are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At its peak, chrysotile made up 99% of asbestos production. It was widely used in industries, including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. If workers were exposed for long periods to this toxic substance, they could develop mesothelioma as well as other asbestos related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this dangerous mineral has decreased significantly since mesothelioma awareness began to spread in the 1960's. It is still found in many of the products we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use provided you have a comprehensive safety and handling program in place. It has been proven that at the present exposure levels, there isn't an danger to the people who handle it. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma were all linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for both intensity (dose) and time span of exposure.

One study that studied an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. It was found 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 usually shorter than other forms of asbestos settlement. They are able to enter the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. This makes them much more prone to causing health effects than fibres with longer lengths.

When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to be airborne and pose any health risks. Fibre cement products are used in many parts of the world, including schools and hospitals.

Research has shown that amphibole asbestos like amosite, crocidolite, or mesothelioma crocidolite, is less likely to cause disease. Amphibole asbestos types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it creates a strong, flexible construction product that can withstand the most extreme weather conditions and other environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

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

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

The most extensive asbestos use was during the early two-thirds of the twentieth century where it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos-containing exposures to the workplace occurred in the air, but certain workers were also exposed to asbestos-bearing rocks and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied by the type of industry, the time period and geographical location.

Asbestos exposure in the workplace is mainly caused by inhalation. However, some workers have been exposed by contact with their skin or by eating food items contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is found in the environment due to natural weathering and the degradation of contaminated products like ceiling and floor tiles, car brakes and clutches, and insulation.

There is evidence emerging that amphibole fibres from non-commercial sources could also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't tightly weaved like the fibrils in serpentine and amphibole, they are loose as well as flexible and needle-like. They can be found in mountain sandstones, cliffs and sandstones in a variety of countries.

Asbestos is able to enter the environment in a variety ways, including through airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into water or soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) and anthropogenic causes (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination in surface and ground waters is primarily due to natural weathering. However it is also caused by human activity, for instance by the 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 primary cause of illness in people exposed to it in their job.

Crocidolite

Exposure to asbestos through inhalation is the most frequent way people are exposed harmful fibres. They can then get into the lungs and cause serious health problems. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. Exposure to fibers can occur in other ways, too including contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This type of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are smaller and more fragile which makes them more difficult to inhale. They can also get deeper in lung tissues. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite, and actinolite. The most common forms of asbestos are epoxiemite and chrysotile, which together comprise the majority of commercial asbestos employed. The other four have not been as widely utilized but they can be found in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite and chrysotile, but they could pose a threat when combined with other asbestos minerals or when mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite.

Numerous studies have shown the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. 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 workers. However, others report an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for workers in mines and chrysotile mills.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma as well as other health issues, although the risks are different based on how much exposure people are exposed to, the type of asbestos used, the duration of their exposure and the method by the way it is inhaled or consumed. IARC has declared that the best option for people is to avoid all forms of asbestos. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a disease such as mesothelioma or other respiratory ailments it is recommended that they seek advice from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles comprise a variety of minerals that can form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic structure of crystals, but some have an orthorhombic shape. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. Double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together by tetrahedron rings made of six. Tetrahedrons can be separated by strips of octahedral site.

Amphiboles can be found in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark-colored and tough. Due to their similarity in strength and color, they can be difficult for some people to differentiate from the pyroxenes. They also have a similar the cleavage. However, their chemistry allows for an array of compositions. The different minerals within amphibole can be 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 considered to be the most hazardous asbestos kind. It contains sharp fibers that can be easily breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite can be found in a brownish or yellowish color and is made primarily of magnesium and iron. This type of stone was once used in products such as cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals are difficult to analyze due to their complex chemical structures and many substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole mineral requires specialized methods. The most popular methods for identifying amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. For instance, these techniques can't distinguish between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. Additionally, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.