WHAT IS IT?
Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to
strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance.
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WHAT ARE ITS HEALTH EFFECTS?
From studies of people who were exposed to asbestos in mines, factories and shipyards, we know that breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of:
The principal forms of asbestos include chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. All but chrysotile are classified as amphiboles, which tend to have a thin, needle-like appearance. Chrysotile breaks into curly fibers. There is evidence that amphibole asbestos fibers are more potent for causing mesothelioma than chrysotile fibers.
Although most studies deal with occupational exposures, a growing number of studies have linked disease to environmental asbestos exposures. For instance, there are reports of markedly elevated mesothelioma rates in populations living in areas in Greece, Turkey and New Caledonia with substantial quantities of tremolite asbestos in the soil, particularly among individuals who used tremolite asbestos to whitewash their homes. In Libby, Montana, asbestos-related diseases have occurred not only in miners, but among their family members and other non-workers exposed through environmental sources of asbestos. Asbestos deposits, including both chrysotile and amphibole asbestos, are located in many parts of the United States and are commonly associated with serpentine, talc or vermiculite. Environmental exposures can occur when these formations are disturbed, thus releasing fibers into the air.
The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is also greater if you smoke. While most asbestos-associated cancers are related to the intensity and duration of exposure, reports in medical journals have linked some mesotheliomas to short exposure periods, on the order of months. People who get asbestosis have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.
Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not develop these health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled into the lungs. The fibers can remain there for a long time, increasing the risk of disease.
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