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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos Before it was banned, asbestos was used in a myriad of commercial products. According to research, asbestos exposure can cause cancer and many other health problems. You cannot tell if something has asbestos just by looking at it, and you cannot taste or smell it. Asbestos is only detected when the substances that contain it are broken, drilled, or chipped. Chrysotile At its peak, chrysotile accounted for 95% of the asbestos created. It was utilized in a variety of industries including construction, insulation, and fireproofing. In the event that workers were exposed to this toxic material, they could develop mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. Thankfully, the use this harmful mineral has diminished dramatically since mesothelioma awareness began to increase in the 1960's. However, traces of it can still be found in the products we use today. Chrysotile is safe to use if a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. It has been found that at the current controlled exposure levels, there isn't an danger to the people working with it. Lung fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma have all been found to be strongly linked to breathing in airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed in terms of intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure. One study that studied an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile in the production of friction materials, compared mortality rates at this factory with national mortality rates. The study revealed that after 40 years of manufacturing low levels of chrysotile there was no significant increase in mortality rates in this factory. As opposed to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be smaller. They can penetrate the lungs, and enter the bloodstream. This makes them more likely to cause ill-health effects than longer fibres. When chrysotile is mixed with cement, it is very difficult for the fibres to breathe and pose any health risk. Fibre cement products are widely used in a variety of locations around the world including hospitals and schools. Research has revealed that chrysotile's risk is lower to cause disease than amphibole asbestos, like crocidolite and amosite. Amphibole types like these are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile and cement are mixed, a durable and flexible material is created which is able to withstand the most extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards. It is also easy to clean after use. Professionals can safely dispose of asbestos fibres after they have been removed. Amosite Asbestos refers to a group of silicate minerals with fibrous structure which are found naturally in a variety of kinds of rock formations. It is composed of six general groups: amphibole, serpentine as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite (IARC 1973). Asbestos minerals are composed of long, thin fibers that range in length from fine to broad. They can also be straight or curled. These fibres are found in nature as individual fibrils or bundles with splaying ends called a fibril matrix. Asbestos is also found in a powder form (talc) or mixed with other minerals to make talcum powder or vermiculite. They are used extensively in consumer products including baby powder, cosmetics, and even face powder. The greatest asbestos use was during the early two-thirds of the twentieth century when it was utilized in insulation, shipbuilding, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of occupational exposures were airborne asbestos fibres, but some workers were exposed vermiculite and talc that had been contaminated and also to fragments of asbestos-bearing rock (ATSDR, 2001). Exposures varied by the type of industry, the time period and geographical location. The majority of asbestos exposures at work were due to inhalation, but certain workers were exposed through contact with skin or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is now only found in the environment from the natural weathering of mined minerals and deterioration of contaminated products such as insulation, car brakes, clutches as well as ceiling and floor tiles. There is evidence to suggest that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic. These are fibres that are not the tightly interwoven fibrils that are found in the amphibole or serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like. These fibres can be found in the cliffs, mountains and sandstones in a variety of countries. Asbestos can enter the environment in a variety of ways, including through airborne particles. It can also leach out into soil or water. This occurs both from natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and human-caused (disintegration and removal of asbestos-containing wastes from landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is mostly due to natural weathering, however it has also been triggered by anthropogenic activities such as milling and mining demolition and dispersal asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated dumping soils in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Exposure to asbestos-containing airborne fibres remains the main cause of illness in people exposed to it occupationally. Crocidolite Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most frequent method by which people are exposed to the harmful fibres, which could then enter the lungs and cause serious health issues. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. The exposure to asbestos fibres could be experienced in other ways, such as contact with contaminated clothing or building materials. The dangers of exposure are higher when crocidolite, a asbestos' blue form is involved. Crocidolite has smaller, more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe in and may lodge deeper into lung tissue. cape coral asbestos attorneys has been associated with a higher number of mesothelioma-related cases than any other form of asbestos. The six main kinds are chrysotile and amosite. Chrysotile and amosite are the most commonly used forms of asbestos and account for 95% of the commercial asbestos in use. The other four forms haven't been as widely used however they can be present in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite and chrysotile, but they can pose a risk when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined close to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, such as talc or vermiculite. Numerous studies have shown that there is a link between stomach cancer and asbestos exposure. However the evidence is not conclusive. Some researchers have reported an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95% confidence interval: 0.7-3.6), for all asbestos workers, while others have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95% confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those who work in mines and chrysotile mills. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classed all asbestos types as carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma as well as other health problems, but the risks vary according to the amount of exposure people are exposed to, the kind of asbestos involved, the duration of their exposure and the manner in which it is breathed in or consumed. The IARC has advised that avoid all forms of asbestos is the most important thing to do, as this is the best option for those who are exposed. If you have been exposed in the past to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory illness or mesothelioma condition, then you should consult your GP or NHS111. Amphibole Amphiboles are groups of minerals that form prism-like or needle-like crystals. They are a type of inosilicate minerals made of double 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 a series of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons are separated by octahedral strips. Amphiboles are present in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark and hard. Because of their similar hardness and color, they may be difficult for some to differentiate from Pyroxenes. They also share a corresponding design of cleavage. However their chemistry permits a wide range of compositions. The various minerals within amphibole can be identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures. Amphibole asbestos comprises chrysotile and the five types of asbestos: amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite) and amosite. Each kind of asbestos has its own distinct properties. Crocidolite is the most dangerous asbestos type. It has sharp fibers which are easily inhaled into the lung. Anthophyllite is yellowish to brown in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. It was previously used in cement-based products and insulation materials. Amphiboles are difficult to analyse due to their complicated chemical structure and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires specialized techniques. The most popular methods for identifying amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD. These methods are only able to provide approximate identifications. These methods, for instance cannot differentiate between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio hastingsite. Additionally, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende as well as pargasite.