The Dangers of Exposure to Asbestos Asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products prior to when it was banned According to research, asbestos exposure can cause cancer and many other health problems It is difficult to tell if something contains asbestos by looking at it, and you cannot taste or smell it It is only found in the event that asbestos-containing products are drilled, chipped or broken Chrysotile At its peak, chrysotile made up for 99percent of the asbestos produced It was employed in many industries, including construction insulation, fireproofing and insulation If workers are exposed to asbestos, they are likely to develop mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses Fortunately, the use this toxic mineral has decreased dramatically since mesothelioma awareness began to grow in the 1960's However, traces of it can still be found in many of the products we use today Chrysotile can be safely used in the event that a thorough safety and handling plan is put into place It has been determined that, at the present controlled exposure levels, there isn't an danger to those handling it Lung cancer, lung fibrosis and mesothelioma are all associated with breathing in airborne respirable fibres This has been confirmed for both intensity dose and time span of exposure A study that looked at an industrial facility that used almost exclusively chrysotile for manufacturing friction materials, compared mortality rates in this factory with national death rates It was concluded that for 40 years of processing asbestos chrysotile at low levels of exposure There was no significant excess mortality in this factory In contrast to other forms of asbestos, chrysotile fibres tend to be smaller They can pass through the lungs and then enter the bloodstream They are more likely to cause health issues than fibres that are longer It is extremely difficult for chrysotile fibrous to be inhaled or to 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 shown that amphibole asbestos such as crocidolite or amosite is less likely than chrysotile in causing disease Amphibole asbestos types have been the most common cause of mesothelioma as well as other asbestos-related diseases When chrysotile and cement are mixed and cured, a tough and flexible material is created that is able to stand up to extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards It is also very easy to clean up after use Asbestos fibres are easily removed by a professional and taken away Amosite Asbestos is one of the groups of fibrous silicates that are found in certain types of rock formations It is comprised of six general groups amphibole, serpentine as well as tremolite, anthophyllite, and crocidolite IARC, 1973 Asbestos minerals consist of thin, long fibres that vary in length, ranging from very fine to broad and straight to curled These fibers are found in nature in bundles or individual fibrils Asbestos can also be found in powder form talc or combined with other minerals to form talcum powder or vermiculite They are extensively used as consumer products, including baby powder, cosmetics and facial 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 Most occupational exposures were to asbestos fibres that were borne in the air, but some workers were exposed vermiculite or talc that was contaminated, and to fragments of asbestos-bearing rocks ATSDR 2001 Exposures varied by the industry, time frame, and geographic location Most of the occupational exposures to asbestos were caused by inhalation, however some workers were also exposed through skin contact or by eating food contaminated with asbestos Asbestos can be found in the environment due to the natural weathering of mined ore and the deterioration of products contaminated with asbestos such as insulation, car brakes, clutches as well as ceiling and floor tiles There is evidence emerging that amphibole fibers that are not commercially available could also be carcinogenic These are the fibres that do not have the tight knit fibrils of the amphibole and serpentine minerals but instead are flexible, loose and needle-like These fibers are found in the cliffs and mountains from a variety of countries Asbestos enters the environment mainly as airborne particles, but it also leaches into soil and water This can be due to both natural weathering of asbestos-bearing rocks as well as anthropogenic sources disintegration of asbestos-containing wastes as well as disposal in landfill sites Asbestos contamination of surface and ground water is largely associated with natural weathering, but it has also been caused by human activities like milling and mining demolition and dispersal of asbestos-containing materials, and the removal of contaminated dumping soil in landfills ATSDR, 2001 Airborne asbestos fibres are the primary cause of illness in people exposed to asbestos during their job Crocidolite Inhalation exposure is the most frequent method of exposure to asbestos fibres These fibres can get into the lungs which can cause serious health issues These include asbestosis and mesothelioma The exposure to asbestos can happen in other ways as well like contact with contaminated clothing, or building materials This kind of exposure is more dangerous when crocidolite the blue asbestos form is involved Crocidolite fibers are thinner and more fragile and therefore easier to inhale They can also lodge deeper in lung tissues It has been associated with more mesothelioma cases than other asbestos types The six main types are chrysotile, amosite and chrysotile Amosite and chrysotile are two of the most commonly used types of asbestos and make up 95 of all commercial asbestos that is used The other four types haven't been as widely utilized, but they may still be found in older buildings They are less dangerous than amosite or chrysotile, but they can still be a risk when mixed with other minerals, or when mined near other mineral deposits like talc and vermiculite Several studies have found an connection between asbestos exposure and stomach cancer A number of studies have confirmed that asbestos exposure is linked to stomach However, the evidence is contradictory Some researchers have cited an SMR standardized mortality ratio of 15 95 percent range of CI 07-36 for all workers exposed to asbestos and others have reported an SMR of 124 95 of the CI = 076-25 for workers working in chrysotile mining and mills The International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC has classified all asbestos types as carcinogenic All kinds of asbestos can cause mesothelioma or other health issues, although the risks differ based on how much exposure people are exposed to, the type of asbestos used as well as the duration of exposure and the way in which it is breathed in or consumed The IARC has recommended that avoiding all forms of asbestos should be the highest priority since this is the most safe option for individuals However, if a person has been exposed to asbestos in the past and suffer from a condition such as mesothelioma or any other respiratory illnesses They should seek advice from their doctor or NHS 111 Amphibole Amphibole is a class of minerals that form long prism or needlelike crystals They are a type of inosilicate mineral made up of double chains of SiO4 molecules They typically have a monoclinic crystal system however, some have an orthorhombic structure The general formula of an amphibole is A0-1B2C5T8O22OH,F2 The double chains are made up of Si,AlO4 Tetrahedrons, which are connected in rings of six The tetrahedrons are separated by strips of octahedral sites https//vimeocom/704893633 are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks They are typically dark and hard Due to their similarity in hardness and color, they can be difficult for some to distinguish from Pyroxenes They also share a similar the cleavage pattern However, their chemistry allows for a wide range of compositions The chemical compositions and crystal structure of the different mineral groups in amphibole can be used to identify them The five types of asbestos that belong to the amphibole group include chrysotile, anthophyllite, amosite as well as crocidolite and actinolite Each variety of asbestos has its own unique properties The most hazardous type of asbestos, crocidolite, is composed of sharp fibers that are easy to breathe into the lung Anthophyllite ranges from brown to yellowish in color and is made up of magnesium and iron This type was used to make cement and insulation materials Amphibole minerals are difficult to analyze because they have a complicated chemical structure and a variety of substitutions Therefore, a thorough analysis of their composition requires special methods The most widely used methods to identify amphiboles are EDS, WDS, and XRD These methods can only provide approximate identifications For example, these techniques can't distinguish between magnesio hastingsite and magnesio-hornblende These techniques do not distinguish between ferro-hornblende and