Senin, 01 Agustus 2011

Asbestos - From Miracle Mineral To Mesothelioma Menace



During World War II Asbestos was hailed by many as a miracle mineral. Almost anything could be built or manufactured from this minerala.Zgrade and construction industry uses it as a supplement to strengthen cement and plastics. Asbestos fibers can be separated into thin threads that do not conduct electricity and are not affected by heat or chemicals.
the four main types of asbestos are amosite fibers with brown, with gray anthophyllite fibers, white Christie, and blue Crocidolite. Chrysotile has curly fibers while the other three have rod like fibers. These fibers break into dust quite easily and drift in the air. They can be placed on the skin, clothing, and can be easily swallowed or inhaled.
Use of asbestos skyrocketed during World War II. Shipbuilding used asbestos extensively in freight and support vessels insulate boilers, steam pipes and hot water pipes. Asbestos became the miracle construction material as it is easily obtained, processed and transferred.
After WWII cars used asbestos in break shoes and clutch pads. Asbestos found its way into residential and industrial building materials, plumbing, sewage materials, ceiling and floor tiles, and vermiculite garden materials to name a few products.
In 1970 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in several products that could release asbestos fibers into the environment during use, after the discovery of the health hazards of asbestos dust inhalation. Regulations governing the use of asbestos and concerns of public opinion since 1970 created a significant decline in the use of asbestos in the United States.
In 1989, all new uses of asbestos have been banned by the Environmental Protection Agency, and any old used a year ago was still dozvoljeno.EPA suggested that school inspection for damaged asbestos and eliminate any exposure or put it in protective barriers. Vermiculite, widely used in horticulture, has become a concern of the EPA recommended outdoor use, limiting the amount of dust used, and keeping vermiculite damp.
asbestos can create serious health hazards, such as coughing, lung damage, shortness of breath, and lung cancer. Most people do not become ill in the early stages of development, but usually need continued exposure, often in jobs such as mining, milling, manufacturing of asbestos products, and construction. Firefighters, demolition workers, drywall removers, and any other workers in trades that involve destruction of buildings, ships and automobiles are also exposed to dangers and risks of asbestos.
During a period of years of continuous exposure to asbestos can cause very serious health problems, such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer membrane that lines numerous cavities of the body, including lung, stomach and heart, and is associated with exposure to asbestos dust. In mesothelioma, mesothelioma cells metastasize and damage adjacent organs and tissues.
the risk of developing mesothelioma takes a long time, often as long as twenty-five or thirty five years before the symptoms appear full blown. Not all workers who are exposed will develop diseases caused by asbestos, but workers who were exposed may bring fibers on clothing, hair, shoes and leather home to their families. To avoid this risk, most industries require workers to bathe and change their clothes before they go to work.
Many studies have been conducted involving the risk of diseases caused by exposure azbestu.Rezultati one such study involving the risks of smoking and asbestos exposure proved to be extremely dangerous.

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