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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. According research, exposure to asbestos can cause cancer, as well as other health problems. You cannot tell if something contains asbestos by looking at it and you won't be able to smell or taste it. It is only discovered when asbestos-containing materials are chipped, drilled or broken. Chrysotile At its peak, chrysotile accounted for the majority of the asbestos production. It was widely used in industries like construction, insulation, and fireproofing. If workers are exposed to asbestos, they could develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. Thankfully, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to spread in the 1960's. It is still present in many of the products we use today. Chrysotile can be used safely with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put in place. People who handle chrysotile do not at risk of being exposed to a high degree of risk based on the current safe exposure levels. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been proven for both intensity (dose) and time of exposure. In one study, mortality rates were compared between a factory that used a large proportion of chrysotile in the manufacture of friction materials and national death rates. It was found that, for 40 years of preparing asbestos chrysotile at a low level of exposure, there was no significant additional mortality in this factory. Chrysotile fibres tend to be shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can penetrate the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause health effects than fibrils with a longer length. It is very difficult for chrysotile fibers to be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. Fibre cement products are widely utilized in many areas of the world including hospitals and schools. Research has shown that amphibole asbestos such as crocidolite or amosite is less likely than chrysotile in causing disease. Amphibole asbestos types have been the primary cause of mesothelioma and various asbestos-related illnesses. When chrysotile is mixed in with cement, it creates a strong, flexible building product that is able to withstand severe weather conditions and other environmental dangers. It is also easy to clean after use. Asbestos fibres are easily removed by a professional, and then taken away. Amosite Asbestos is one of the groups of fibrous silicates that are found in certain types of rock formations. It is classified into six groups that include amphibole (serpentine) and tremolite (tremolite), anthophyllite (crocidolite) and anthophyllite. Asbestos minerals are made up of thin, long fibers that vary in length from fine to broad. They can also be curled or straight. These fibres can be found in nature in bundles or as individual fibrils. Asbestos can also be found in a powder form (talc) or combined with other minerals to create talcum powder or vermiculite. These are commonly used in consumer products such as baby powder cosmetics and face powder. The largest asbestos use was during the early two-thirds of the twentieth century, when it was used in shipbuilding, insulation, fireproofing and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were asbestos fibres in the air, however some workers were exposed to contaminated vermiculite or talc as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied according to the industry, time frame, and geographic location. Most of the asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were due to inhalation, but certain workers were exposed through contact with skin or by eating food contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos can be found in the air due to natural weathering and degrading of products that are contaminated, such as ceiling and floor tiles as well as car brakes and clutches, as well as insulation. It is becoming apparent that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These are fibers that are not the tightly weaved fibrils of amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibres are found in the cliffs and mountains of several countries. Asbestos gets into the environment primarily in the form of airborne particles, however it also leaches into water and soil. This can be caused by natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and 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 anthropogenic activities such as mining and milling demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping soils in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Airborne asbestos fibres are the most significant reason for illness among those exposed to it in their work. Crocidolite Inhalation exposure is the most frequent method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can infiltrate the lungs which can cause serious health issues. This includes asbestosis and mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos fibres can also take place in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. The risks of exposure are higher when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos is involved. Crocidolite is a smaller, more fragile fibers that are more easy to inhale and can lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been linked to a greater number of mesothelioma related cases than any other type of asbestos. The six main types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite as well as epoxiemite. Tremolite is anthophyllite, and actinolite. Amosite and chrysotile are the most commonly used types of asbestos, and comprise 95 percent of all asbestos used in commercial construction. The other four types haven't been as widely utilized however, they could be present in older buildings. They are not as dangerous as amosite or chrysotile but still be a risk when mixed with other minerals or when mined near other mineral deposits such as talc and vermiculite. Numerous studies have shown the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. The evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have cited an SMR (standardized mortality ratio) of 1.5 (95% range of CI: 0.7-3.6) for all workers exposed to asbestos while other studies have reported an SMR of 1.24 (95 percent C.I. 0.76-2.5) for workers working in chrysotile mining and mills. IARC The IARC, which is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all types of asbestos carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma or other health issues, although the risks differ based on the amount of exposure individuals are exposed to, the kind of asbestos used as well as the length of their exposure and the manner in the way that it is breathed in or consumed. IARC has stated that the best choice for individuals is to stay clear of all forms of asbestos. If you've been exposed in the past to asbestos and suffer from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma then you should seek advice from your physician or NHS111. Amphibole Amphibole belongs to a group of minerals that form long prisms or needlelike crystals. They are an inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They are 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 are made up of (Si,Al)O4 Tetrahedrons which are connected in rings of six. Tetrahedrons may be separated by strips of octahedral sites. Amphibole minerals are common in metamorphic and igneous rocks. They are usually dark-colored and tough. Because of their similar hardness and color, they may be difficult for some people to differentiate from Pyroxenes. They also share a similar design of cleavage. However their chemistry allows the use of a variety of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structures of the different mineral groups found in amphibole may be used to determine their composition. Amphibole asbestos is comprised of chrysotile as well as the five types of asbestos: amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite) and amosite. Each type of asbestos has its own unique properties. The most harmful type of asbestos, crocidolite is composed of sharp fibers that are simple to inhale into the lungs. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is made up of iron and magnesium. The variety was used previously in cement and insulation materials. Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complicated chemical structure and the numerous substitutions. rio rancho asbestos law firm -depth analysis of the composition of amphibole minerals requires specialized techniques. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods of identifying amphiboles. However, these methods only give approximate identifications. These methods, for instance can't distinguish between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.