What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a dangerous group
of natural minerals that are layered and made completely of microscopic fibers. This dangerous mineral was very commonly used
in buildings, roofing, flooring and all types of insulation materials. To be
direct, that only scratches the surface… Asbestos was mined at a global scale,
processed and used in hundreds of other products around the world.
Types of Asbestos
There are six different types of asbestos
minerals, which are categorized by their color and fiber-type. Although they
are all different in their own way, they all have something very much in common
and this characteristic is what put these minerals so high in demand.
Asbestos fibers are so durable that they are resistant to
many different chemicals but it was their heat and fire resistant capabilities
that made them so popular.
Nowadays however, due to its danger to human health,
asbestos is no longer used in the construction industry. Please beware, homes
and buildings constructed before the year 1990, may still have asbestos in them
and home owners should take extreme caution in this.
As mentioned earlier, there are six types of asbestos
minerals:
1.
Actinolite has a
dark color with fibers of a straight shape. This mineral was commonly used in
the construction industry, usually combined with vermiculite for insulation.
2.
Amosite is
brown in color, with straighter and shorter fibers. This type of mineral was
primarily sourced in South Africa.
3.
Anthophyllite is an
asbestos mineral found in Georgia, North Caroline, and Finland as well. This
mineral was the less used when compared to other asbestos minerals in the
building industry.
4.
Chrysolite fibers
are the longest ones, and curly as well. About 90% of asbestos fibers used in
the world commercially belong to chrysolite. Asbestosis usually develops due to
inhalation of chrysolite fibers.
5.
Tremolite is a
mineral commonly found alongside other minerals like vermiculite, talc or even
chrysotile.
6.
Crocidolite is
often known as blue asbestos has very thin fibers. This is the most harmful
type of asbestos minerals, which due to its nature easily penetrates the human
tissue. Crocidolite fibers are less resistant to heat when compared to other
asbestos minerals.
Who Is Most At Risk To Asbestos Exposure?
Some people have a greater risk than others when it comes to
asbestos exposure and this is usually due to occupation. Plumbers, builders,
painters, carpenters, and electricians are at a greater risk, together with
people who worked in factories that produced asbestos products such as railway
engineers, shipbuilders, factory workers, etc.
Asbestos has been linked to be the sole cause of asbestosis and
the development of mesothelioma, a
rare type of malignant cancer, which is caused by either inhaling or ingesting
asbestos fibers.
Even if a person does not hold a job title that is known for
exposing it’s employees to asbestos, second-hand exposure is very common. If a person lives or associates themselves
with someone who worked around asbestos, they are also at a very risk of
developing mesothelioma.
What To Know Before You Go
Prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers is very hazardous to
a person’s health. One of the main complications with this disease is the
prolonged period (latency) of the cancer’s development after the initial
exposure to it.
It takes several years and mostly decades for mesothelioma
or asbestosis to develop. On average, it usually takes between 20 to 50 years
to even notice the signs of it’s development. At the beginning stages, the symptoms
of this disease are very subtle and look very similar to the symptoms
associated with common colds, stomach viruses, and respiratory system problems.
This similarity tends to lead to a wide variety of
misdiagnoses and much like any other health problem, if you let it go untreated
for a long period of time, it will only get worse. Whether or not you or a loved one appear to
show any signs of these mesothelioma
symptoms, if you have ever been exposed to asbestos, it is vital
that you see your doctor and get screened for mesothelioma right away.
Sources:
- Types of Asbestos Exposure. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Accessed at: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/asbestos/types of exposure/
- Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk. National Cancer Institute. Accessed at: www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet
- Mesothelioma. The University of Chicago Medicine. Accessed at: www.uchospitals.edu/specialties/cancer/mesothelioma/
- Mesothelioma
Symptoms: TreatMesothelioma.org – YouTube. Accessed at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYEMwv95BmU - Mesothelioma.net https://mesothelioma.net/pleural-mesothelioma/
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