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The Dangers of Exposure to AsbestosBefore it was banned, asbestos was widely used in commercial products. According research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and many other health problems.It is not possible to tell by simply looking at a thing if it’s made of asbestos. You cannot smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be detected when materials containing it are broken, drilled, or chipped.ChrysotileAt the height of its use, chrysotile made up 99% of the asbestos produced. It was widely used in industries including construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they may develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use this toxic mineral has decreased drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to spread in the 1960’s. It is still present in many of the products we use in the present.Chrysotile can be safely used with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put in place. It has been proven that, at today’s controlled exposure levels, there is no unneeded risk to the people working with the substance. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have been strongly associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for intensity (dose) as and the duration of exposure.One study that looked into a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile in the production of friction materials compared mortality rates in this facility with national mortality rates. The study found that, after 40 years of processing low levels of chrysotile there was no significant increase in mortality rates at this facility.Chrysotile fibres are usually shorter than other types of asbestos. They can enter the lungs, and even enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more likely to cause ill-health effects than fibres with longer lengths.When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to breathe and pose health risks. Fibre cement products are extensively used in a variety of locations around the world, including schools and hospitals.Research has demonstrated that amphibole asbestos such as amosite, crocidolite, or crocidolite, is less likely than chrysotile to cause disease. Amphibole types like these are the main source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When the cement and chrysotile are combined together, a strong and flexible product is created that can withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely eliminate asbestos fibres when they have been removed.AmositeAsbestos is one of the groups of fibrous silicates found in certain types rock formations. It consists of six general groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite (IARC 1973).Asbestos minerals are composed of thin, long fibers that vary in length from very fine to broad and straight to curled. These fibers are found in nature in bundles, or as individual fibrils. Asbestos is also found in powder form (talc), or mixed with other minerals to create talcum powder or vermiculite. These are commonly used as consumer goods, such as baby powder, cosmetics and face powder.The most extensive asbestos use was during the first two-thirds of the twentieth century where it was used in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing, and other construction materials. Most occupational exposures were to asbestos fibres borne by air, but some workers were exposed to vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied from industry to industry, era era and geographic location.Asbestos exposure in the workplace is mainly due to inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed through contact with skin or through eating foods contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is only present in the air due to the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degrading of contaminated materials like insulation, car brakes, clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.There is growing evidence that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These are the fibres that don’t form the tightly woven fibrils of the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are loose, flexible and needle-like. These fibres are found in the cliffs and mountains in a variety of countries.Asbestos enters the environment mainly as airborne particles, but it can also leach into soil and water. This occurs both from natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and the anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes in landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is mostly due to natural weathering, however it has also been caused by human activities like mining and milling demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres is still the primary cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos at work.CrocidoliteInhalation exposure to asbestos is the most frequent method by which people are exposed to harmful fibres. They can then be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other illnesses are caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibers can also take place in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The dangers of exposure are heightened when crocidolite (the asbestos’ blue form is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and can get deeper into lung tissue. It has been linked to a larger number of mesothelioma related cases than any other type of asbestos.The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite, and actinolite. The most popular forms of asbestos are epoxiemite as well as chrysotile which together make up 95% all commercial asbestos used. The other four asbestos types are not as widespread, but they can still be present in older structures. They are not as hazardous as amosite and chrysotile, but they can pose a risk when combined with other asbestos minerals, or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.Many studies have discovered an association between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. Numerous studies have shown a link between asbestos exposure and stomach. However, the evidence is contradictory. Certain researchers have reported an overall SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% of the time CI: 0.7-3.6) for all asbestos-related workers as well as an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent of the 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 asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, however the risks differ based on the amount of exposure is taken, what type of asbestos is involved and how long the exposure lasts. IARC has declared that the best choice for individuals is to avoid all types of asbestos. If you’ve been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory condition or mesothelioma then you should see your physician or NHS111.AmphiboleAmphibole is a class of minerals that form long prisms or needlelike crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic system of crystals, but certain crystals have an orthorhombic form. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains contain (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in a series of six tetrahedrons. Tetrahedrons may be separated by strips of octahedral sites.Amphiboles occur in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark and hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes because they have similar hardness and color. They also share a similar cleavage pattern. Their chemistry allows for a range of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different minerals in amphibole can be used to identify them.The five types of asbestos belonging to the amphibole family are amosite, anthophyllite and chrysotile as well as crocidolite and actinolite. The most widely used form of asbestos is chrysotile. Each variety has its own unique characteristics. Crocidolite is considered to be the most hazardous asbestos kind. It is made up of sharp fibers which are easily inhaled into the lung. maine asbestos attorney comes in a brownish-to yellowish color and is made mostly of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in cement-based products and insulation materials.Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complicated chemical structure and numerous substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized techniques. The most common methods for identifying amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance, cannot distinguish between magnesio hornblende and hastingsite. These techniques also cannot differentiate between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.