703528178

The Dangers of Exposure to AsbestosBefore it was banned asbestos was widely used in commercial products. Research shows that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health problems.It is difficult to tell by looking at a thing if it is made up of asbestos. It is also impossible to taste or smell it. It can only be found when the asbestos-containing materials are drilled, chipped or broken.ChrysotileAt its height, chrysotile provided for 99% of the asbestos produced. It was used in many industries like construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. However, if workers were exposed to this toxic material, they may develop mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma was first becoming an issue, the use of asbestos has declined significantly. It is still present in many of the products we use today.Chrysotile can be used safely in the event that a thorough safety and handling plan is put in place. Workers handling chrysotile are not exposed to an undue amount of risk at current controlled exposure levels. Inhaling airborne fibres is strongly linked to lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been proven to be true for both intensity (dose) and the duration of exposure.A study that looked at an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials compared the mortality rates of this factory with national death rates. It was concluded that over the course of 40 years, processing asbestos chrysotile in low levels of exposure, there was no significant extra mortality in the factory.Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other types of asbestos. 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 very difficult for the fibres to air-borne and pose any health risk. The fibre cement products are extensively used throughout the world particularly in buildings like hospitals and schools.Research has shown that chrysotile is less likely to cause illness than amphibole asbestos like amosite and crocidolite. These amphibole types are the main cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile mix, a durable product is produced that is able to stand up to extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also very easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely get rid of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.AmositeAsbestos is a term used to describe a class of silicate minerals with fibrous structure that are found naturally in specific types of rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: serpentine, amphibole as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).boise city asbestos lawyer are made up of long, thin fibers that vary in length from fine to wide. They can also be curled or straight. These fibers are found in nature as individual fibrils, or as bundles with splaying ends called a fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals are also found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as talcum powder and vermiculite and are used in consumer products like baby powder cosmetics, face powder, and baby powder.Asbestos was extensively used in the early two-thirds of the 20th century to construct construction of ships as well as insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were asbestos fibres that were borne in the air, but some workers were exposed to toxic talc or vermiculite and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied by industry, time and geographical location.Most of the asbestos exposures that workers were exposed to was due to inhalation. However, some workers were also exposed through contact with skin or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is only found in the air due to natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated like ceiling and floor tiles as well as car brakes and clutches, as well as insulation.It is becoming apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that don’t form the tightly interwoven fibrils that are found in the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the mountains and cliffs in a variety of countries.Asbestos can be found in the environment in the form of airborne particles, however it can also be absorbed into water and soil. This can be triggered by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rock) as well as anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However it can also be caused by humans, such as by the milling and mining of asbestos-containing materials, demolition and dispersal, and the disposal of contaminated dumping materials in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Inhalation exposure to asbestos fibers is the primary cause of illness among people exposed to it occupationally.CrocidoliteInhalation exposure to asbestos is the most frequent way people are exposed to the harmful fibres that can then enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma as well as asbestosis and other diseases can be caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibers can also take place in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. This kind of exposure is especially dangerous when crocidolite (the blue asbestos form) is involved. Crocidolite fibers are thinner and more fragile and therefore easier to breathe in. They can also get deeper within lung tissues. It has been associated with more mesothelioma cancer cases than other asbestos types.The six major types are chrysotile, amosite and chrysotile. The most commonly used forms of asbestos are epoxiemite and chrysotile which together comprise the majority of commercial asbestos used. The other four types haven’t been as widely utilized however, they could be found in older buildings. They are not as hazardous as chrysotile and amosite, but they could pose a threat when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite.Numerous studies have revealed the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence isn’t unanimous. Some researchers have reported an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent 95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent CI: 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines 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 and other health issues, however the risks are different based on how much exposure individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved, the duration of their exposure and the manner in the way it is inhaled or ingested. The IARC has recommended that avoiding all forms of asbestos should be the top priority as it is the most safe option for people. However, if a person has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from an illness such as mesothelioma, or other respiratory conditions it is recommended that they seek advice from their physician or NHS 111.AmphiboleAmphibole belongs to a group of minerals that form long prism or needle-like crystals. They are a kind of inosilicate mineral made up of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic structure of crystals, however some have an orthorhombic structure. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains comprise (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in rings of six tetrahedrons. Tetrahedrons are distinguished from each other by strips of octahedral sites.Amphiboles can be found in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are usually dark-colored and hard. Because of their similar hardness and colour, they can be difficult for some people to distinguish from Pyroxenes. They also share a similar the cleavage. Their chemistry can allow for a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the various minerals in amphibole can be used to identify them.Amphibole asbestos consists of chrysotile, and the five asbestos types amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite), and amosite. While the most frequently used asbestos type is chrysotile each type has its own distinct characteristics. Crocidolite is considered to be the most hazardous asbestos type. It is composed of sharp fibers that can be easily breathed into the lung. Anthophyllite is a brownish to yellowish hue and is made primarily of magnesium and iron. This kind of material was used to create cement and insulation materials.Amphibole minerals can be difficult to analyze because they have complex chemical structures and a variety of substitutions. A detailed analysis of the composition of amphibole mineral requires specialized methods. The most commonly used methods to identify amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for example can’t distinguish between magnesio hornblende and magnesio hastingsite. Furthermore, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.