What is Asbestos

Asbestos is a type of a mineral that is characterized by its fibrous nature as well as the fact that it is resistant to chemical action and is not combustible. This is the reason why it was used for fireproofing and insulating materials. Asbestos can naturally occur in six different minerals with sub-classifications. These are as follows:

• chrysotile
• amosite
• crocidolite
• anthophyllite
• tremolite
• actinolite

Among these minerals, chrysotile and amosite asbestos is the most common type.

Microscopic asbestos dust contains fibers. These fibers are very resistant to fire and all chemical reactions and breakdown processes. For this reason, asbestos has been used for thousands of years in many different commercial and industrial capacities. Asbestos was used for roofing shingles, floor tiles, ceiling materials, textile products, cement compounds, and automotive parts. Its durability and resistance of heat are good qualities however, since research has shown that exposure to asbestos causes many respiratory health conditions, its production today is strictly controlled.

Asbestos Health Hazards

The use of asbestos was discontinued more than forty years ago, after studies definitively established this substance as hazardous to human health. Today, asbestos is classified as a known human carcinogen. The properties that made asbestos so attractive as a materials are the same properties that make it hazardous. Asbestos fiber dust is microscopic, roughly .02 of the diameter of the human hair. This fact makes it very easy to inhale asbestos dust. This fibrous dust adheres to the respiratory system, including the inner cavity tissue and the lining of the lungs. Asbestos fibers are inflexible and the body is unable to break them down or expel them. For this reason, they end up lodged in the soft internal tissues of the respiratory system.

Until the hazardous nature of asbestos became widely known, it was used in many different applications. For this reason, hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to this mineral. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. It is important to understand that any history of asbestos exposure can put a person at risk for a serious respiratory health issues later on.

At Risk of Exposure to Asbestos

Many different kinds of occupations were exposed to asbestos. This substance was used in thousands of commercially manufactured products, as well as in many industrial capacities. Anyone who worked in these industries was at danger of asbestos exposure. Some of the industries that are particularly dangerous are commercial product manufacturing, power plants, shipbuilding, and construction. In these industries, asbestos was very widely used. Workers who were employed in these industries forty years ago were very possibly exposed to asbestos products.

While asbestos is very hazardous, not all products made from asbestos are dangerous. The reason for this is that asbestos has to be in haled in order to be hazardous. For this reason, only loose asbestos fiber dust, referred to as friable dust, is actually dangerous. Some stable asbestos compounds, such as cement and tiles, do not present an instant risk factor.

However, working with asbestos products is very dangerous. Grinding, chopping, demolishing, or retrofitting these products can expose a person to friable asbestos fibers. These activities can cause asbestos to be discharged into the atmosphere where it can be easily inhaled.

Health Conditions Associated with Asbestos Exposure

There are three lung conditions which have been proven to be caused by asbestos exposure. These lung conditions are lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.

Lung cancer is a serious threat and is related to tobacco use. However, lung cancer can be exacerbates by exposure to asbestos. Some of the common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.

Mesothelioma is a violent cancer that affects the lung and inner body cavities. This happens in the thin membrane called the mesothelium. Mesothelioma is documented as being related directly to asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma can happen in three different locations within the body. Pleural mesothelioma forms in the lining of the lungs and is the most common form of this disease. Peritoneal and pericardial mesotheliomas are somewhat less common. They form in the lining of the abdominal cavity and in the lining of the heart.

Asbestosis is a degenerative and progressive non-malignant long-term respiratory condition. This condition results as scar tissue plaques form on the visceral surface of the pleura. In some cases, asbestosis is a precursor to the mesothelioma.

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