Asbestos Exposure Caused By Exposure To Carcinogens

It has been observed and proven that heavy and long exposure to asbestos is the prime cause of Mesothelioma. Furthermore, it takes decades for a patient who was exposed to asbestos to develop Mesothelioma - fifty years, at most. Although there is now a growing awareness of the hazards of asbestos to health, still many have not heard of Mesothelioma and thus, have not understood its nature, cause, signs and treatment.
Family members of workers exposed to asbestos can also contract this disease through exposure to the worker's clothing.
Pleural Asbestosis
These symptoms occur due to a buildup of fluid in the pleura, what is known as Pleural Mesothelioma. The first type, pleural mesothelioma, spreads within the chest cavity, and sometimes involves the lungs. Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include persistent pain in the chest and severe difficulty breathing caused by pleural effusion, or an accumulation of fluid in the pleural lining Cough, weight loss, and fever are also common symptoms.
The most common form of Mesothelioma is Pleural Mesothelioma, which begins in the Pleural or Peritoneum, the membrane that lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs. They include: malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, pleural effusion, pleural plaques and thickening, and lung cancer. As asbestos enters the body through respiration, the microscopic shards pierce the lungs and lodge in the delicate pleural mesothelium.
Exposure
This disease is termed as Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer which is caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos dust. Mesothelioma cancer is often caused by exposure to asbestos. The symptoms of mesothelioma may appear in 30 - 50 years after exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma affects men most due to the high exposure of asbestos in industrial typed jobs. If the patient believes that your mesothelioma was caused by an employer and exposure to asbestos, they may feel resentment towards them. It is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos, and is slow forming - often taking between 20-50 years to develop after exposure to asbestos.
It is thought to be associated with exposure to asbestos, and this asbestos association has been documented in 70-80% of all mesothelioma cases. Mesothelioma cancer is caused by exposure to carcinogens such as asbestos.
Pleura
Examples of mesothelilial membranes are the peritoneum (abdominal organs), pleura (lungs), and pericardium (heart). The cancer of the mesothelium appears when the cells of this membrane -that forms the lining of several internal organs within the different body cavities: the pleura in the thoracal cavity, the peritoneum in the abdominal cavity and the pericardium in the heart sac, become abnormal or 'malignant' and divide neither with control nor order. Although most Mesothelioma cases start in the pleura or peritoneum, the problem increases when these cancerous cells can damage nearby tissues and organs or even metastasize or spread to other parts of your body.

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Asbestos Dangers in Britains Buildings

Those who work in UK law, local government or the construction industry have heard of the word "Asbestos" for many years. But up until as recently as twenty years ago, most of the population of the UK did not know about the dangers and the diseases caused by asbestos. This danger from asbestos is highlighted by the fact that almost every government from around the world has regulations and laws in place against the use of asbestos in building materials.
Asbestos is a Greek word which means "inextinguishable". Asbestos is also known as "magical mineral" due to the fact that it has such a natural composition that it is considered ideal for usage in anything from tiles to rooftops to road signs. It has even be used in making the socks we wear. Up until 1980 army, navy, railway, construction, in short every possible industry used asbestos. But once its harmful effects were discovered in 1980 the usage of asbestos based materials and products was banned worldwide.
Recent statistics show that almost every building built before 1980 is most likely to be made of asbestos related products. According to the TUC, all public buildings and schools built between 1960 and 1980 most probably have asbestos in walls, boilers, and even hot pipes. Properties built since the mid-1980's are unlikely to contain asbestos in the fabric of the building and properties built since 1990 are extremely unlikely to contain asbestos anywhere in the building.
Asbestos has previously been used in UK buildings for fireproofing, insulation, reinforcement and condensation protection. The Advisory Committee on Asbestos has released a report which states that the UK is most affected by the use of white asbestos by the name of Chrysotile. The Chrysotile imported by the UK in 1976 was utilized 40% by cement building products, 22% by reinforced and filler cements and 12% by floors and tiles.
Asbestos based items and products are no longer approved by the UK government or any other government in the world since research has highlighted its harmful effects on human health. These products are known to emit asbestos fibres which are the cause of many diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer and other diseases. These fibres are so small that they are invisible to the human eye, with some fibres being up to seven hundred times smaller than a human hair. When these asbestos fibres are released from the building material or product and become airborne into the air we breathe, they often stay suspended there for hours or even days.
When asbestos fibres are originally inhaled, they may become trapped in the lungs. Over time, the body tries to dissolve theses fibres. Unfortunately due to the nature of asbestos, the body does little to damage the fibre, but instead damages the surrounding tissue. Eventually, this damage may become so severe that the lungs cannot function.
Although the use of asbestos has been banned for many years now, asbestos related deaths still occur for up to 40 years after exposure. The symptoms of asbestos related diseases, unfortunately, do not become apparent until it is too late.

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What Products Contain Asbestos?

Many products contain asbestos. From 1900 until well into the 1980s, asbestos was commonly used in over 3,000 different products produced through:
· Construction· Mining· Milling· Processing
Asbestos and its products create many small fibers that, when breathed into the lungs, cause serious health problems. The most dangerous health problem is Mesothelioma, a cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs.
In many countries this is still mined, processed and used. In a growing number of others, it is either banned, or its use is severely restricted because of the serious health risks associated with it.
It can be found in numerous everyday places, such as:
· Ducts· Furnaces· Vinyl flooring· Shingles· Siding· Asbestos insulation· Ceiling tiles· Ceramic tiles· Acoustic tiles· Sheetrock· Paint· Automobiles
Asbestos can also exist in surprising places:
· Adhesive· Fake Snow· Ironing Board Covers· Mittens and Mitts· Wallpaper· Yarn
How is asbestos used?
· The Construction Industry
It is used in many aspects of building and construction for insulation, sound absorption, pipe insulation and to strengthen cement.
· In the Automobile Industry
The automotive industry manufactures cars with asbestos in the brake shoes and often in the clutch pads.
· In The Shipbuilding Industry
This is used to insulate boilers, steam pipes, and hot water pipes. Sometimes, asbestos insulates ship's nuclear reactors.
· Everyday Exposure
Asbestos paper makes daily life more convenient. For example, table pads use it, as well as beverage filters, wire insulation and heat mats.
In 1979, approximately 560,000 metric tons of asbestos was used in domestic products. That number is reduced today to less than 55,000. However, many products still exist that were produced before its use was restricted.

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Types of Asbestos

There are two common types of asbestos, amphibole and chrysotile. Several studies show that amphibole fibers stay in the lungs longer than chrysotile, and this may explain the tendency to increase their toxicity (harmfulness to the body).

Which differ in their physical characteristics. chrysotile asbestos develops in a layered or tiered form, whereas amphibole asbestos has a chain-like structure.

Asbestos Common Types

The three most common types of fibers are:

* Chrysotile (white asbestos): A white curly fiber, chrysotile accounts for 90% of asbestos in products and is a member of the serpentine group. It is a magnesium silicate.
* Amosite: Brown or gray, straight amosite fibers belong in the amphibole group, and contain iron and magnesium.
* Crocidolite (Riebeckite): A member of the amphibole group, crocidolite takes the form of blue, straight fibers. It is a sodium iron magnesium silicate.

The other asbestos types, all in the amphibole group, are anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. Anthophyllite ranges in color from white to gray to brown. It is associated with talc and other minerals, and is a magnesium iron silicate hydroxide.

  • Anthophyllite asbestos is commonly identified by its white brittle fibers that are made of crystals and have a chain-like appearance. This type of asbestos is formed by the breakdown of talc in ultramafic rock, and as such, anthophyllite is a common contaminant of talc. Although anthophyllite asbestos is not often used for industrial purposes, the fibers can occasionally be found among the natural minerals that expand with the application of heat, such as vermiculite (which is commonly added to gardening soil).

  • Relatively Tremolite is a common mineral found in most metamorphic rocks. Its color ranges from a creamy white to dark green. Tremolite asbestos has been used for industrial purposes (though not as much as chrysotile) and has been identified as an ingredient in some household products, primarily talcum powder (which is also a known carcinogen). This form of asbestos is the major asbestiform contaminant of The Infamous vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana.

  • Actinolite asbestos is a Relatively common mineral in metamorphic rocks existing. This type of asbestos is usually green, white, or gray and it is closely related to the aforementioned minerals tremolite (actinolite contains a greater presence of iron over magnesium than tremolite). Actinolite does not have a strong history of commercial or industrial use, but it may be a contaminant in asbestos products. There are non-fibrous actinolite variants of that do not pose the same health threats associated with exposure to Commercially exploited forms of asbestos.

About Asbestos - The Miracle Evil

Asbestos is a group of highly fibrous minerals with separable, long, and thin fibers. Separated asbestos fibers are strong and flexible so that it can be woven as well as spun. It is a considered a miracle evil as it is heat resistant and is extremely useful for industrial purposes, but it is seen to be causing life threatening asbestos diseases like mesothelioma. Due to their durability, asbestos fibers that get into lung tissue will remain for long periods of time.
As it is resistant to heat, chemical damage, electricity, sound absorption as well as tensile strength, it is extensively used by manufacturing as well as construction companies.
It is also mixed with cement to make fabric or mats. Due to its heat resistance, asbestos is also used in gaskets, brake shoes, electric oven and wiring of hotplates. Asbestos is also used in building materials for insulation and as a fire retardant like in furnaces, pipes, roof shingles, textured paints, coating materials, and floor tiles.
Asbestos is a silicate mineral containing of silicon, oxygen, hydrogen, and various metals.
Materials containing asbestos is substandard, spoiled or removed which results in release of fibers or dust. in the air.
Due to the fineness of its fibres, it can be dangerous and its inhalation can cause lung diseases, mainly:
Asbestosis leading to scarring of the lungs
disease of the lining of the lung (pleura) or mesothelioma
lung cancer
All types of asbestos exposure lead to cancerous or non-cancerous diseases which usually show its symptoms 10 to 30 years after asbestos exposure.
The first asbestos related cases were found among the British. These workers at some point due to their working in mills, mines, construction companies, factories, companies involved in processing of asbestos or when removing asbestos dust.

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