Ask Me Anything: 10 Answers To Your Questions About Asbestos Attorney

The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos

asbestos law was a component in thousands of commercial products before it was banned. Research shows that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health problems.

It is not possible to tell by simply looking at something if it's made of asbestos. Neither can you taste or asbestos smell it. Asbestos is only detectable when materials containing it are broken or drilled.

Chrysotile

At its height, chrysotile comprised the majority of the asbestos production. It was used by many industries, including construction, fireproofing, and insulation. However, if workers were exposed to this harmful material, they could contract mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use this harmful mineral has diminished significantly since awareness of mesothelioma began to grow in the 1960's. It is still found in a variety of products we use in the present.

Chrysotile can be used in a safe manner when a thorough safety and handling plan is in place. It has been determined that at the present exposure levels, there is no danger to those who handle it. Inhaling airborne fibres has been found to be strongly linked with lung fibrosis and lung cancer. This has been proven both in terms of intensity (dose) as in the time of exposure.

One study that examined a factory that used almost exclusively chrysotile in the production of friction materials, compared mortality rates at this factory with national mortality rates. It was discovered that, for 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile at low levels of exposure there was no significant extra mortality in the factory.

As opposed to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibers tend to be smaller. They can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This makes them much more likely to cause ill-health effects than fibrils with a longer length.

It is very difficult for chrysotile fibers to be airborne or pose any 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 revealed that amphibole asbestos such as crocidolite or amosite is less likely than chrysotile in causing disease. These amphibole varieties are the primary source of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases. When cement and chrysotile are mixed, a durable and flexible product is created that can withstand extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also easy to clean up after use. Professionals can safely dispose of asbestos fibres after they have been removed.

Amosite

Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicates found in certain types rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973).

Asbestos minerals are made up of long, thin fibers that range in length from fine to wide. They can also be straight or curled. They can be found in nature in bundles or individual fibrils. Asbestos minerals can be found as a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder which are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder cosmetics, face powder and asbestos baby powder.

The greatest use of asbestos was in 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 that were borne in the air, but some workers were exposed vermiculite or talc that was contaminated as well as to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks (ATSDR 2001). Exposures varied by industry, time period and geographic location.

Most asbestos-related exposures in the workplace were due to inhalation, but certain workers were exposed through contact with skin or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is currently only found in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined minerals and the degradation of contaminated products like insulation, car brakes, clutches and ceiling and floor tiles.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. They are not tightly knit like the fibrils found in amphibole and serpentine but are instead loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibres are found in the mountains and cliffs of several countries.

Asbestos may enter the environment in a variety ways, including through airborne particles. It can also leach out into water or soil. This can be caused by natural (weathering and erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks) and ananthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing wastes at landfill sites) sources. Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is mostly a result of natural weathering, but has also been caused by human activities such as mining and milling, demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills (ATSDR 2001). The inhalation of asbestos fibres is the most common cause of illness among people exposed to it occupationally.

Crocidolite

Inhalation exposure to asbestos is the most frequent way people are exposed to the harmful fibres, which could then get into the lungs and cause serious health issues. These include mesothelioma and asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos fibers can occur in different ways, like contact with contaminated clothes or building materials. The dangers of exposure are heightened when crocidolite, a asbestos that is blue is involved. Crocidolite is smaller and more fragile fibers that are easier to breathe and can be lodged deeper in lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma-related cases than other types of asbestos.

The six major types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite, epoxiemite, tremolite anthophyllite and actinolite. Chrysotile and amosite are the most frequently used types of asbestos, and comprise 95% of commercial asbestos currently used. The other four have not been as extensively used however they can be present in older buildings. They are less dangerous than chrysotile and amosite, but they could pose a threat when mixed with other asbestos minerals, or when mined in close proximity to other naturally occurring mineral deposits, like talc or vermiculite.

Numerous studies have shown the connection between stomach cancer and asbestos case exposure. However, the evidence is contradictory. Certain researchers have cited an SMR (standardized death ratio) of 1.5 (95 percent 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 working in chrysotile mills and mines.

IARC the International Agency for Research on Cancer, has classified all forms of asbestos carcinogenic. All forms of asbestos could cause mesothelioma as well as other health problems, but the risks differ based on the amount of exposure that individuals are exposed to, the type of asbestos involved as well as the length of their exposure and the method by the way that it is breathed in or ingested. IARC has stated that the best choice for individuals is to avoid all forms of asbestos settlement. If you've been exposed to asbestos and are suffering from a respiratory disorder or mesothelioma then you should see your physician or NHS111.

Amphibole

Amphiboles are a grouping of minerals that form prism-like and needle-like crystals. They are an inosilicate minerals made of double chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic arrangement of crystals, but some exhibit 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 rings of six tetrahedrons. The tetrahedrons can be separated by strips of octahedral sites.

Amphiboles are found in both igneous and metamorphic rock. They are typically dark and hard. They are sometimes difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes as they share similar hardness and color. They also have a similar the cleavage. Their chemistry allows a wide range of compositions. The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the different mineral groups in amphibole could be used to identify them.

Amphibole asbestos comprises chrysotile and the five asbestos types amosite, anthophyllite (crocidolite), amosite (actinolite) and amosite. Each kind of asbestos has its own distinct properties. Crocidolite is the most hazardous asbestos lawsuit type. It contains sharp fibers that can be easily breathed into the lungs. Anthophyllite comes in a brownish-to yellowish hue and is made mostly of iron and magnesium. This kind of material was used to create cement and insulation materials.

Amphiboles are difficult to analyse because of their complex chemical structure and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a detailed analysis of their composition requires special techniques. The most commonly used methods of identifying amphiboles include EDS, WDS, and XRD. However, these methods can only provide approximate identifications. These techniques, for instance cannot differentiate between magnesio-hornblende and hastingsite. Moreover, these techniques do not distinguish between ferro hornblende and pargasite.