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The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos Asbestos was used in a variety of commercial products before it was banned. Research has shown that exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health problems. You can't tell if something includes asbestos by looking at it and you can't smell or taste it. Asbestos can only be detected when the materials that contain it are broken, drilled, or chipped. Chrysotile At the height of its use, chrysotile made the majority of asbestos production. It was widely used in industries such as construction insulation, fireproofing and insulation. In the event that workers were exposed to this toxic material, they could develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Fortunately, the use of this hazardous mineral has declined drastically since mesothelioma awareness started to grow in the 1960's. However, it is still present in trace amounts. remain in many of the products we use in the present. Chrysotile can be used safely with a well-thought-out safety and handling plan is put into place. Personnel handling chrysotile aren't exposed to an undue amount of risk at the current safe exposure levels. Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma were all linked to breathing airborne respirable fibres. This has been confirmed both for the intensity (dose) as well as duration of exposure. In bellingham asbestos law firm , mortality rates were compared among a factory which used almost exclusively chrysotile in the manufacture of friction materials and national death rates. It was discovered that, over the course of 40 years, processing asbestos chrysotile at low levels of exposure There was no significant extra mortality in the factory. Chrysotile fibres are usually shorter than other forms of asbestos. They can enter the lungs and enter the bloodstream. They are therefore more likely to cause health problems over longer fibres. It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibrous to be in the air or pose a health risk when mixed with cement. The fibre cement products are extensively used throughout the world particularly in structures such as schools and hospitals. Research has proven that chrysotile is less likely to cause illness than amphibole asbestos, like amosite and crocidolite. Amphibole types like these are the primary cause of mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related diseases. When chrysotile and cement are mixed and cured, a tough, flexible product is created that is able to stand up to extreme environmental hazards and weather conditions. It is also easy to clean up after use. Professionals can safely eliminate asbestos fibres when they have been removed. Amosite Asbestos is a category of fibrous silicates found in certain types of rock formations. It is comprised of six main groups: serpentine, amphibole anthophyllite, tremolite and crocidolite (IARC, 1973). Asbestos minerals consist of long, thin fibers that range in length from very thin to broad and straight to curled. They are present in nature in the form of individual fibrils or bundles that have splaying ends, referred to as fibril matrix. Asbestos minerals are also found in the form of a powder (talc) or mixed with other minerals and sold as vermiculite and talcum powder that are widely used in consumer products, such as baby powder, face powder and cosmetics. Asbestos was extensively used in the first two thirds of the 20th century for construction of ships, insulation, fireproofing, and other construction materials. The majority of asbestos exposures for work occurred in the air, however some workers also were exposed to asbestos-bearing rock fragments and vermiculite that was contaminated. Exposures varied according to the type of industry, the time period, and geographic location. The majority of occupational exposures to asbestos were caused by inhalation, however some workers were also exposed through contact with skin or through eating contaminated food. Asbestos is only found in the environment because of natural weathering and degradation of contaminated products like ceiling and floor tiles cars, brakes and clutches, and insulation. It is becoming apparent that non-commercial amphibole fibers can also be carcinogenic. These fibers aren't tightly knit like the fibrils found in amphibole and serpentine, but are instead loose and flexible, and needle-like. These fibres can be found in mountains, sandstones and cliffs of many countries. Asbestos can enter the environment in many ways, including in the form of 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 anthropogenic (disintegration and disposal of asbestos-containing materials in 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 like milling and mining demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing material and the disposal of contaminated soils for disposal in landfills (ATSDR, 2001). Inhalation exposure to airborne asbestos fibres is still the primary cause of illness for people exposed to asbestos at work. Crocidolite Inhalation exposure is the most commonly used method of exposure to asbestos fibres. These fibres can enter the lungs and cause serious health problems. Mesothelioma and asbestosis as well as other illnesses are all caused by asbestos fibres. Exposure to asbestos fibres can occur in different ways too including contact with contaminated clothing or construction materials. The dangers of exposure are heightened when crocidolite (the blue form of asbestos is involved. Crocidolite fibers are smaller and more fragile making them more palatable to breathe. They can also lodge deeper into lung tissue. It has been linked to more mesothelioma cases than other types of asbestos. The main kinds are chrysotile and amosite. The most popular forms of asbestos are chrysotile and epoxiemite, which together comprise the majority of commercial asbestos employed. The other four have not been as popularly used but they can be present in older buildings. They are less hazardous than amosite or chrysotile, but they can still be a risk when combined with other minerals or when mined near other mineral deposits, such as talc and vermiculite. Numerous studies have proven an association 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. However, others have reported an SMR of 1,24 (95 percent confidence interval: 0.76-2.5), for those working in chrysotile mills and mines. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic. All asbestos types can cause mesothelioma, however the risks differ based on how much exposure is taken, what type of asbestos is involved, and the length of time that exposure lasts. IARC has declared that the best choice for individuals is to stay clear of all forms of asbestos. However, if people have been exposed to asbestos in the past and are suffering from a condition such as mesothelioma and other respiratory diseases, they should seek guidance from their doctor or NHS 111. Amphibole Amphibole is a group of minerals that form long prism or needlelike crystals. They are an inosilicate mineral that is composed of two chains of SiO4 molecules. They have a monoclinic structure 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 composed of (Si, Al)O4 tetrahedrons linked together in a series of six tetrahedrons. Tetrahedrons can be separated by strips of octahedral site. Amphiboles are present in metamorphic and igneous rock. They are usually dark-colored and hard. They can be difficult to distinguish from pyroxenes as they share similar hardness and color. They also share a similar the cleavage. However their chemistry allows an array of compositions. The different mineral groups within amphibole are identified by their chemical compositions as well as crystal structures. The five types of asbestos in the amphibole class include amosite, anthophyllite and chrysotile, crocidolite, and actinolite. The most widely used form of asbestos is chrysotile, each variety has its own unique characteristics. The most harmful type of asbestos, crocidolite, is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lungs. Anthophyllite ranges from brown to yellowish in color and is made up of magnesium and iron. It was previously used in products such as cement and insulation materials. Amphibole minerals are challenging to analyze because they have a complex chemical structures and numerous substitutions. Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires specialized methods. EDS, WDS and XRD are the most popular methods of identifying amphiboles. These methods can only provide approximate identifications. For instance, these methods cannot distinguish between magnesiohastingsite and magnesio-hornblende. In addition, these techniques can not distinguish between ferro-hornblende or pargasite.