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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos Before it was banned asbestos was used in a myriad of commercial products. Research has shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health issues. It is impossible to determine if a product has asbestos just by looking at it, and you are unable to taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detectable when materials containing it are broken, drilled, or chipped. Chrysotile At its height, chrysotile provided for 99percent of the asbestos that was produced. It was employed in a variety of industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing, and insulation. If workers were exposed for long periods to this toxic substance, they could develop mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. Since the 1960s, when mesothelioma became a problem, the use of asbestos has been reduced significantly. It is still present in a variety of products we use today. Chrysotile is safe to use if you have a comprehensive safety and handling plan in place. It has been found that, at today's controlled exposure levels, there isn't an undue risk to the workers handling it. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma are all connected to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed for both the intensity (dose) and time of exposure. One study that studied a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile in the production of friction materials compared the mortality rates of this factory with national mortality rates. The study found that, after 40 years of processing at low levels of chrysotile there was no significant rise in mortality in this factory. In contrast to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter. They are able to penetrate the lungs and pass into the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause health effects than fibres with longer lengths. When chrysotile gets mixed with cement, it is extremely difficult for the fibres to breathe and pose any health risks. Fibre cement products are extensively used all over the world, especially in buildings like hospitals and schools. Research has proven that chrysotile is less likely to cause disease than amphibole asbestos like crocidolite and amosite. Amphibole asbestos types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma and various asbestos-related illnesses. When chrysotile is mixed in with cement, it creates a tough, flexible building product that can withstand extreme conditions in the weather and other environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean up after use. Professionals can safely remove asbestos fibres once they have been removed. Amosite Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicates that are found in various types of rock formations. It is divided into six groups which include amphibole (serpentine), Tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite. Asbestos minerals are composed of thin, long fibers that vary in length from extremely fine to broad and straight to curled. These fibres are found in nature as individual fibrils, or as bundles with splaying ends referred to as fibril matrix. Asbestos is also found in a powder form (talc), or combined with other minerals to make vermiculite or talcum powder. They are extensively used in consumer products including baby powder, cosmetics, and face powder. Asbestos was widely used during the early two-thirds of the 20th century to construct shipbuilding as well as insulation, fireproofing and various other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were airborne asbestos fibres, but some workers were exposed to vermiculite or talc that was contaminated as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to industry, time period and geographical location. The exposure to asbestos in the workplace is mostly caused by inhalation. However certain workers have been exposed through skin contact or eating contaminated foods. Asbestos is now only found in the air due to the natural weathering of mined ore and the deterioration of products contaminated with asbestos such as insulation, car brakes and clutches, as well as floor and ceiling tiles. It is becoming increasingly apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibres may also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't weaved like the fibrils that are found in serpentine and amphibole, but are instead loose, flexible, and needle-like. These fibers can be found in the mountains and cliffs of several countries. Asbestos can be absorbed into the environment in a variety ways, such as in airborne particles. It can also be absorbed into water or soil. This can be caused by both natural (weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks) and anthropogenic sources (disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes and disposal in landfill sites). Asbestos contamination of surface and ground waters is primarily caused by natural weathering. However it is also caused by human activity, for instance through the mining and milling of asbestos-containing materials demolition and dispersal and the removal of contaminated dumping material in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres remains the main cause of illness for people who are exposed to asbestos on a daily basis. Crocidolite Inhalation exposure is the most popular method of exposure to asbestos fibres. The fibres can penetrate the lung which can cause serious health issues. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other diseases are caused by asbestos fibres. The exposure to asbestos fibres could be triggered in other ways, including contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. hawaii asbestos lawsuit of exposure are greater when crocidolite which is the blue form of asbestos, is involved. Crocidolite has smaller, more fragile fibers, which are easier to breathe in and can get deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos. The six major kinds are chrysotile and amosite. The most well-known forms of asbestos are epoxiemite and chrysotile, which together comprise 95% all commercial asbestos used. The other four asbestos types are not as prevalent, but could still be present in older structures. They are less hazardous than chrysotile or amosite but can still pose a threat when combined with other minerals or when mined near other naturally occurring mineral deposits such as vermiculite and talc. Numerous studies have proven that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However there is no conclusive evidence. Certain researchers have reported an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% range of CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos and others have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent of the CI = 0.76-2.5) for those working in chrysotile mines and mills. IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all forms of asbestos carcinogenic. All kinds of asbestos may cause mesothelioma and other health issues, however the risks vary according to the amount of exposure people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved as well as the length of their exposure and the manner in the way that it is breathed in or ingested. IARC has declared that the best option for individuals is to stay clear of all forms of asbestos. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a condition such as mesothelioma or other respiratory diseases They should seek advice from their physician or NHS 111. Amphibole Amphibole is a class of minerals that form long prism or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They are a monoclinic system of crystals, but some have an orthorhombic shape. The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22(OH,F)2. The double chains are made up of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons, which are connected in rings of six. Tetrahedrons can be separated by strips of octahedral sites. Amphiboles are found in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark-colored and hard. Due to their similarity of hardness and colour, they can be difficult for some people to distinguish from the pyroxenes. They also share a similar design of cleavage. However, their chemistry allows for many different compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the various minerals in amphibole can be used to determine their composition. The five asbestos types that belong to the amphibole group include amosite, anthophyllite and chrysotile as well as crocidolite and actinolite. While the most commonly used form of asbestos is chrysotile each type is unique in its own way. The most harmful type of asbestos, crocidolite is made up of sharp fibers that are easy to inhale into the lung. Anthophyllite can range from yellow to brown in color and is made up of iron and magnesium. It was previously used in cement-based products and insulation materials. Amphibole minerals can be difficult to study because of their an intricate chemical structure and a variety of substitutions. A thorough analysis of the composition of amphibole mineral requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most commonly used methods for identifying amphiboles. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. These techniques, for example, cannot distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio hastingsite. These techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and.