Asbestos, how it all began!
Once upon time there was a bad queen who covered the world in asbestos! Ok, not likely, but it would be great if all this were a fairytale. Sadly the reality is not that and asbestos is a substance to be taken very seriously indeed.
Let’s get into the science bit with the strange names;
‘Asbestos’ is a generic term used for the fibrous forms of 6 naturally occurring minerals. They are all flame retardant, heat insulating, acid resisting, nonconductive and exceptionally stronger than steel.
1. Crocidolite (also known as ‘blue asbestos’)
2. Amosite (also known as ‘brown asbestos’)
3. Chrysotile (also known as ‘white asbestos’)
There are only 3 main types of asbestos fibres that are commercially used:
There is no simple test to identify the different fibres; laboratory examination is required (you cannot always distinguish by colour alone). All fibres can be dangerous in their raw form (as are nearly all industrial raw materials), but blue and brown asbestos fibres are known to be much more dangerous than white asbestos fibres.
The 3 minerals fall into 2 distinct categories of asbestos minerals; the ‘amphiboles’ and ‘serpentines’. No these are not snakes!
Blue and brown asbestos fibres (and the other 3) fall into the ‘amphibole asbestos’ category; they are compounds of metal silicates consisting of short, sharp fibres. They are dusty and once inhaled the fibres are capable of existing in the human body for a great length of time. Wow I know more than I realised, sometimes I just forget what’s in my head!
White asbestos fibres falls into the ‘serpentine asbestos’ category; it is a compound of metal silicates consisting of softer, more flexible fibres. Once inhaled, their flexibility allows the fibres to be readily broken down in the body, hence their lower toxicity.
Asbestos in products
When asbestos fibres are incorporated into products, they lend the material their unique flame retardant, high strength properties.
Types of asbestos products
Asbestos fibres are incorporated into materials to produce either Low Density asbestos containing materials (ACMs), or High Density ACMs.
Low density ACMs have asbestos fibres left loose or mixed with a plaster and sprayed intocavities and onto surfaces requiring insulation. Such use (even with a plaster matrix) has a low resistance to wear and readily releases fibres when damaged. It is true that these materials are capable of posing measurable risk to health if damaged.
High Density ACMs have asbestos fibres hard encapsulated (HE) and sealed by mixing them into cement products which lends the cement unique properties.
Where asbestos products are found
It has been estimated that asbestos fibres have been used in over 3000 products. Below is a selection of items that MAY contain asbestos fibres.
Adhesives and thermal taping compounds
Cement products (pipes, roofing, wall panels, rain gutters and down pipes soffits, flues, and loft
cold water tanks)
Classroom chalkboards
Construction mastics (floor, tile, carpet, ceiling tile, etc)
Cooling towers
Electrical equipment (ducts, panel partitions, cloth insulations)
Fire doors, curtains, blankets and other fireproofing materials
High temperature gaskets
Household heat resistant items (iron board covers, oven gloves)
Insulation (sprayapplied,
blownin,
electrical wiring, boilers, etc)
Laboratory equipment (hoods, table tops, gloves, etc)
Lift equipment (panels, brake shoes)
Plaster (acoustical, decorative)
Roofing material (shingles, felt, cement)
Textured paints / coatings
Tiles (floor, ceiling, panels, sheet flooring, backing)
Thermal paper products
Vehicular break pads
Packing materials
Probably more products than your thought contain asbestos
How asbestos fibres can affect health
We are all exposed to very low levels of asbestos fibres on a day to day basis, either in the ambient air or in drinking water. Exposure to these low levels of fibres DOES NOT cause us to develop asbestos related health problems.
Asbestos only starts to affect health when significant amounts of fibres are inhaled into the lungs.These levels of fibre release normally only occur when damage occurs to asbestos containing materials. Unfortunately, breathing in significant amounts of asbestos fibres can sadly lead to people developing one of these three main diseases:
1. asbestosis – a scarring of the lung, reducing lung function (this is not normally fatal but can progress to lung cancer)
2. lung cancer
3. mesothelioma – a cancer of the lining around the lungs and stomach (not associated with white asbestos products)
These diseases can take from 15 – 60 years from first exposure to develop and on exposure there will be no immediate changes in health.
I hope this has given a little more clarity to asbestos and where it is found and why it was used?
Still the big unanswered question is “why was it ever used when it is so dangerous”?
And my answer is…. ?????
Good day and report back soon luvvies.
Asbestos! blah blah
Well I am confused today, this however, of late, is very easily done and with more Christmas shin digs packed into my calendar than coffee mornings with the Vicar I’m one busy lady.
The big asbestos issues; Where is it? Is it dangerous? Should I remove it?
With all the controversy surrounding asbestos and how harmful it may or may not be it’s no wonder people are unsure what to do if they suspect they might have it in their building or home. I would be the talk of the village if the Vicar knew I might have some on my garage!
I’ve spent most of my life throwing caution to the wind but on this particular subject you really should know the facts. Would you walk into a burning fire? No, exactly, you know this will most certainly harm you.
The same principles apply to asbestos but maybe in not such harsh terms. It is harmful if the fibres are released and you breath them in. Asbestos in good condition poses only a very low risk so long as all the people operating in the building know where it is and know not to disturb it.
It’s the people and organisations, sat in their comfy chairs, who chose to ignore the problem and then face massive costs and fines over not managing their asbestos.
At work?
If you work in a building, ask yourself is their asbestos in this building?
Where is it located?
Is their a designated person responsible for monitoring that asbestos?
Do all people within the building know about the asbestos and that it should not be disturbed?
At home?
Do you live in an older property built before the year 2000?
Have you had an asbestos survey on your house?
Do you know if you have any asbestos present in your home?
Do you know what asbestos looks like?
These are some simple questions that you can ask yourself about asbestos. It really isn’t rocket science and wouldn’t you rather be aware of the risks so you can make a calculated judgement about what action to take.
As I always like to say “Better to be safe than covered in asbestos!”
Check back soon for some more asbestos talk time!
Some Common Questions about Asbestos
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a natural mineral, mined from rock found in many countries, including Russia, Canada, Australia and South Africa. It is made up of tiny fibres that are as strong as steel, but can be woven like cotton, and are highly resistant to heat and chemicals. Asbestos was dubbed the `Magic Mineral’ because of its unique properties and from the 1860s onwards it was used in thousands of products and buildings all over the world. There are three main types of asbestos that have been used in this country: brown asbestos (amosite); blue asbestos (crocidolite) and white asbestos (chrysotile).
From the late 1880s it was realised that this `Magic Mineral’ had a damaging effect on health, but the truth about the dangers of asbestos was hidden by employers, and successive Governments failed to act to protect workers. It was not until the mid-1980s that blue and brown asbestos were banned in the UK, and not until November 1999 that white asbestos was finally banned.
How does Asbestos damage health?
Asbestos damages health when asbestos fibres are breathed (inhaled) into the lungs. Because asbestos fibres are so fine, they can penetrate deep into the smallest airways of the lungs so that they cannot be easily breathed or coughed out. Once the fibres are inside the lungs, the body’s defence mechanism tries to break them down and remove them. Each fibre is a foreign body, like a splinter in a finger. As the body tries to neutralise and break down the irritating fibres, inflammations develop.
These processes lead to the development of asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos fibres are so strong that they can also penetrate through tissue into the sensitive lining of the lungs (the pleura) causing illness. Once fibres are in the body, they can move around, not only into the pleura, but also the lymph nodes and other parts of the body.
Fibres can also be swallowed (ingested). For example, when mucous and sputum that contain a lot of fibres are swallowed, some of these fibres can stick in the intestinal track and from there they can move into the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). Fibres can penetrate the skin and cause irritation and reddening. Because of this, some people think that asbestos can grow inside the body like a tree, but this does not happen.
Does exposure to asbestos always damage health?
It is possible to be exposed to high levels of asbestos for long periods of time and not to develop any of the asbestos-related diseases. However, it is generally thought that the more asbestos you have been exposed to, the more likely it is that you will develop an asbestos-related disease such as asbestosis. This may mean that you have been exposed to smaller doses of asbestos over a long period of time, perhaps ten years, or to larger doses over a shorter period of time. It is possible to develop mesothelioma, a cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos, because of a brief exposure to asbestos.
There is usually a long latency period between exposure and actually developing an asbestos disease. It usually takes at least 10 years, but can take much longer. It can, for instance take up to 40 or more years to develop mesothelioma.
What are “asbestos bodies” in lung tissue?
The body’s defence mechanisms often coat the asbestos fibres with a layer of protein and they are then called “asbestos bodies”. Finding asbestos bodies in lung tissue suggests heavy occupational exposure to asbestos, but this does not necessarily mean that you are suffering from an asbestos disease.
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