Asbestos information
Contents
When is
asbestos dangerours
What is
asbestos
Potential
Health Effects
Determining
Factors
Biographical
Information
Personal
Interests
When is asbestos dangerous
When is asbestos dangerous
Asbestos
is most hazardous when it is friable. The term "friable" means that
the asbestos is easily crumbled by hand, releasing fibers into the air. Sprayed
on asbestos insulation is highly friable. Asbestos floor tile is not.
Asbestos-containing ceiling tiles, floor tiles, undamaged laboratory cabinet
tops, shingles, fire doors, siding shingles, etc. will not release asbestos
fibers unless they are disturbed or damaged in some way. If an asbestos ceiling
tile is drilled or broken, for example, it may release fibers into the air. If
it is left alone and not disturbed, it will not.
Key responsibilities
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What is Asbestos
Rock
Actinolite
is a mineral that commonly occurs in crystalline schists, often being the chief
constituent of green-coloured schists and greenstones. It is used somewhat as
an asbestos
material. It has the formulae Ca2(Mg,Fe
)5Si8O22(OH)2
(the same as nephrite, but being less attractive and
harder to cut and polish is less valuable than nephrite) and a relative
hardness of 6.
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Asbestosis
Asbestosis
is a serious, chronic, non- cancerous respiratory disease. Inhaled asbestos
fibers aggravate lung tissues, which causes them to scar. Symptoms of
asbestosis include shortness of breath and a dry crackling sound in the lungs
while inhaling. In its advanced stages, the disease may cause cardiac failure.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer
causes the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure. The incidence
of lung cancer in people who are directly involved in the mining, milling,
manufacturing and use of asbestos and its products is much higher than in the
general population. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and a
change in breathing. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent
chest pains, hoarseness, and anemia.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma
is a rare form of cancer which most often occurs in the thin membrane lining of
the lungs, chest, abdomen, and (rarely) heart. About 200 cases are diagnosed
each year in the United States. Virtually all cases of mesothelioma are linked
with asbestos exposure. Approximately 2 percent of all miners and textile
workers who work with asbestos, and 10 percent of all workers who were involved
in the manufacture of asbestos-containing gas masks, contract mesothelioma
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Determining
Factors
The amount
and duration of exposure
Whether or
not you smoke
Age
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Ceiling
tiles in buildings built prior to 1981
Most 9"
floor tiles in buildings built prior to 1981
A few
12" floor tiles in buildings built prior to 1981
Insulation
around pipes and boilers, and
Interiors of
fire doors
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Sprayed
on fire proofing and insulation in buildings
Insulation
for pipes and boilers
Wall
and ceiling insulation
Ceiling
tiles
Floor
tiles
Putties,
caulks, and cements
Roofing
shingles
Siding
shingles on old residential buildings
Wall
and ceiling texture in older buildings and homes
Joint
compound in older buildings and homes
Brake
linings and clutch pads
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Last
revised: Date