The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

Before it was banned, maple grove asbestos lawsuit was used in a myriad of commercial products. Research shows that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health issues.

You cannot tell by just looking at something if it is made of asbestos. You cannot smell or taste it. It is only found when asbestos-containing materials are drilled, chipped or broken.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile comprised the majority of the asbestos produced. It was employed in many industries including construction insulation, fireproofing, and construction. If workers were exposed to this harmful material, they could develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this toxic mineral has decreased significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to increase in the 1960's. However, trace amounts are still present in common products that we use in the present.

Chrysotile is safe to use if a thorough safety and handling plan is put into place. Chrysotile handling workers aren't at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk at current limits of exposure. The inhalation of airborne particles is strongly linked to lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been confirmed in terms of intensity (dose) as well as the duration of exposure.

One study that studied an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile to manufacture friction materials, compared mortality rates at this factory with national death rates. The study found that after 40 years of converting low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality rates at this facility.

Chrysotile fibres are typically shorter than other types of asbestos. They can pass through the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause health consequences than longer fibres.

It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibers to be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products have been extensively used all over the world particularly in buildings such as schools and hospitals.

Research has shown that chrysotile is less likely to cause disease than amphibole asbestos, like crocidolite and amosite. These amphibole varieties are the primary cause of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it forms a strong, flexible building product that is able to withstand severe conditions in the weather 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 refers to a group of silicate mineral fibrous that naturally occur in certain kinds of rock formations. It is classified into six groups that include amphibole (serpentine) and the tremolite (tremolite), Mequon asbestos Lawsuit anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite.

Asbestos minerals are composed of thin, long fibres that range in length, ranging from very fine to wide and straight to curled. These fibers are found in nature in bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals can also be found in powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder, which have been widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder, and baby powder.

The largest asbestos use occurred during the first two-thirds of twentieth century in the period when it was employed in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures involved asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed to contaminated vermiculite or talc and to pieces of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time period and geographical location.

Exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mainly because of inhalation. However there are workers who have been exposed through skin contact or eating contaminated foods. Asbestos is currently only found in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined ore and the degradation of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes and clutches, and floor and ceiling tiles.

There is growing evidence that non-commercial amphibole fibers could also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't weaved like the fibrils in amphibole or serpentine, they are loose elastic, flexible, and needle-like. These fibres are found in the mountains and cliffs of several countries.

Asbestos is absorbed into the environment mostly 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 removal of asbestos-containing wastes from landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of ground and surface water is largely associated with natural weathering, however it has also been caused by human activities such as mining and milling demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR 2001). Exposure to asbestos-containing airborne fibres remains the main cause of illness for people exposed to it occupationally.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure is the most common method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can get into the lung and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other diseases are caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos fibres could occur in different ways, such as contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. This type of exposure is more dangerous when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos) is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers, which are easier to breathe in and may lodge deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos.

The six primary types are chrysotile, amosite and chrysotile. Chrysotile and amosite are the most frequently used types of asbestos, and comprise 95 percent of all asbestos used in commercial construction. The other four types haven't been as widely used but they can be present in older buildings. They are not as hazardous as amosite and chrysotile, however they can pose a risk when combined with other asbestos minerals or mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, like vermiculite or talc.

Several studies have found an connection between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer. However there is no conclusive evidence. Certain researchers have cited an 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% confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in mines and chrysotile mills.

IARC The IARC, also known as the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all types of asbestos as carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma as well as other health issues, however the risks differ based on the amount of exposure individuals are exposed to, the type of mequon asbestos lawsuit used and the duration of their exposure and the manner in which it is breathed in or consumed. The IARC has recommended that avoid all forms of asbestos should be the highest priority, as this is the most safe option for people. However, if someone has been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from an illness, such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory conditions it is recommended that they seek advice from their GP or NHS 111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are groups of minerals that may form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, however certain crystals have an orthorhombic form. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains consist of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons that are joined in rings of six. The tetrahedrons are separated from one another by octahedral sites in strips.

Amphiboles occur in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are usually dark-colored and tough. They are sometimes difficult to differentiate from pyroxenes because they have similar hardness and colors. They also share a corresponding cleavage pattern. Their chemistry allows for a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different minerals in amphibole can be used to determine their composition.

The five types of asbestos in the amphibole class include amosite, anthophyllite and chrysotile and crocidolite. They also include actinolite. Each kind of asbestos has its own unique properties. The most harmful type of asbestos, crocidolite is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lungs. Anthophyllite is brown to yellowish in color and is composed of magnesium and iron. This kind of material was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphibole minerals can be difficult to analyze due to their a complicated chemical structure and a variety of substitutions. An in-depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals is a complex process that requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most common methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance cannot differentiate between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. Additionally, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro hornblende and pargasite.