What is Asbestos?

Have you heard about asbestos? You might have heard about it through a chance encounter or signs on the streets, or you may have even been exposed to it unconsciously.

Asbestos belongs to a group of naturally occurring minerals, bred out of rock and soil. Due to its fine fibers, heat resistance, and inherent strength, the construction industry utilizes asbestos fibers and materials, particularly as part of insulation materials.

Asbestos might be even present in some floor tiles and fireproofing materials (e.g., fire retardant) at your residence, village, or even at your workplace! For many decades, a lot of projects depended on its usage – but here’s a catch: Not many people know the downsides.

That’s because while asbestos has contributed well to manufacturing, a wealth of research also underscores related negative health effects and health risks aligned with occupational safety and health. This has led the federal government to consider policies related to its usage and likely contaminants, particularly for overall public health.  

It might also interest you to know that asbestos has generated much discussion and debate. Indeed, despite its benefits, there have been calls for removing asbestos from wide circulation, including calls to protect workers from any environmental protection agency (e.g., those for banning asbestos). 

Indeed, from roofing shingles to steam engines, asbestos has been a huge player in most industries. What makes them a choice for construction materials, plumbing materials, and fireproof materials, and what are the cons of exposure to asbestos? We discuss asbestos below: What it is by definition, its many types and uses, and the hazards related to it!

Asbestos: Everything You Need to Know

As mentioned, asbestos is a mineral by nature, in its most commonly used form. Asbestos has been used in various products, such as asbestos cement products and thermal insulation products.
 
One can find it in everyday items like floor tiles, vehicle clutches, and vehicle brakes, but also in highly industrial usage such as pipe insulation (e.g., steam lines).
 
What makes asbestos highly popular, due to its being primarily resistant to corrosion and heat, are mainly what we know as asbestos fibers.
 
The most common type of these asbestos fibers include actinolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, amosite asbestos, chrysotile asbestos, crocidolite asbestos, and tremolite asbestos. 
 
Research also mentions that some of these asbestos microscopic fibers may have undergone chemical alterations and treatments so that they serve their functions better.
 
Below, we break down further what the types and primary uses of asbestos are. Note that asbestos is also part of asbestiform minerals, defined and characterized due to their elongated crystal and fibrous structures.
 

Examples of Asbestos Products:

  • Casings for electrical wires
  • Duct
  • Floor tile and adhesives
  • Millboard
  • Patching and joint compound
  • Pipe
  • Soundproofing material
  • Cement shingles
  • Furnace insulation
  • Roofing
  • Siding

Second Hand Asbestos Exposure:

Asbestos was in its highest use in the United States from 1950-1970. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common strain of mesothelioma within women.

Mesothelioma in women was thought to be impossible because, at the time, women did not hold jobs that were at risk of asbestos exposure. Doctors didn’t know that mesothelioma could be transferred second-hand as well. 

Because women were thought to be exposed to asbestos, mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed. Another way women receive asbestos exposure is through talc powder. Talc powder is found in baby powder, makeup powder products, feminine hygiene products, and condoms. 

Talcum powder is the fifth leading cause of women’s cancer-related deaths in the United States.

Examples of Second Hand Exposure:

  • Contaminated water
  • Environmental exposure
  • Asbestos on parents work clothes
  • Contaminated products
  • Commercial hairdryers
  • Washing laundry and work clothes
  • Contaminated soil

Types of Asbestos

Asbestos Exposure

White Asbestos

White asbestos, or chrysotile, is the most common type. This type belongs to the serpentine mineral group. Also, when asked what is asbestos, a lot usually refer to chrysotile asbestos. 

Back then, a lot of commercial and industrial applications widely used white asbestos. This included cement products, brake pads, gaskets, and other building materials. 

Brown Asbestos

Brown asbestos, also known as amosite asbestos, belongs to amphibole minerals. It is the less flexible and more brittle variant.

Brown asbestos was popular in industrial settings, particularly for asbestos insulation and the creation of ceiling tiles, thermal insulation, and pipe insulation. Others regard brown asbestos as more hazardous than white asbestos material.

Blue Asbestos

Blue asbestos, known as crocidolite, is known for its high tensile strength and brittle, straight fibers. Back then, boilers, piping, and steam engines often made use of blue asbestos.

Like the other types we mentioned, blue asbestos products also have the likelihood of high toxicity. 

Amphibole Asbestos

Amphibole asbestos pertains to another mineralogical group of asbestos. This type of asbestos is known to be valuable for some industrial applications.

Examples of amphibole asbestos include crocidolite asbestos, amosite asbestos, and actinolite asbestos.

Friable Asbestos

Lastly, friable asbestos is another way to categorize various types of asbestos. When asked what is asbestos, it is important to know that some are easily pulverized and crumbled – and this is what makes them friable.

Asbestos exposure to friable types can also potentially cause a lot of health problems, especially as this type is part of ACMs (asbestos containing material) that might be utilized in sprayed-on fireproofing, some roof tiles, and select ceiling types.

Uses of Asbestos

After having given the various types of asbestos, we now delve into its many uses. Any asbestos paper or report cannot discount that beyond what is perceived as harmful asbestos exposure, at one point asbestos has been truly useful in various applications.

Asbestos as Construction Materials

Building materials for various construction purposes such as roofing and flooring utilize asbestos. Be it in cement sheets, felt, and roofing shingles, chances are these contain asbestos-containing materials.

Floorings also benefit from using asbestos, primarily to make them resistant to wear and tear over the years, establishing their strength. Examples of asbestos-containing materials include vinyl floor tiles and other backing materials.

Asbestos as Fire Retardant

Another popular use of asbestos, especially in previous decades, was its function as a fire retardant. This article has mentioned its strong heat resistance, which is why asbestos has been used for applications that require fire protection.

This use of asbestos as a fire retardant was also incorporated in materials like coatings and textiles so that manufacturers could enhance resistance. Fireproof clothing for military personnel, firefighters, and industrial workers – especially those exposed to high-temperature environments – was also explored in the past.

Moreover, industries such as shipping, aviation, and automotive also benefited from asbestos use. Some aircraft applications and parts like engine brakes and compartments were used in creation.

For shipbuilding, asbestos proved beneficial for fireproofing. This was mostly applied in piping systems, engine rooms, and boiler rooms.

Lastly, some military equipment has also been reported to incorporate asbestos use. For protection against heat and fire, some naval vessels, tanks, and aircraft have opted to integrate asbestos fibers.

Asbestos as Insulation Materials

Lastly, asbestos has been used as insulation materials. A most common type of asbestos associated with this includes duct and piping insulation so that heat loss can be prevented.

Asbestos insulation was also used, in the past, for electricity. Asbestos fibers and asbestos materials were applied to cables, wires, and electrical panels.

Health Risks Related to Asbestos Exposure 

Despite its known usage, those who worked directly with hazardous or contaminated types of asbestos know of its detrimental effects on one’s health. How one is exposed also greatly affects the extent of the health hazards that asbestos poses not just to an individual but also on overall public health.

Below, we identify health hazards brought about by the dangers of asbestos use, exposure to asbestos, and related facts regarding asbestos-containing products and toxic substances. This will help more people understand why calls for removing asbestos usage have been prevalent.

Asbestos-Related Diseases

There have been many studies that enumerate the health hazards related to exposure to asbestos. We detail these hazards below not only in terms of diseases (e.g., lung cancer) but also in terms of related negative health effects.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma tops the list of asbestos-related diseases. It is primarily a form of lung cancer and a rare and aggressive form at that.

Malignant mesothelioma is also due to prolonged exposure to asbestos products, such as asbestos cement, as well as asbestos dust. It should be noted that the aforementioned types of asbestos fibers may contain varying levels of carcinogenicity (cancer-causing materials) so those with occupational exposure are truly at high risk of asbestos disease.

Mesothelioma can also affect the heart, testicles, and abdomen, respectively known as pericardial, peritoneal, and testicular mesothelioma. Mesothelioma patients usually do not experience symptoms caused by asbestos exposure right away; some detect it only decades after their asbestos exposure and asbestos products.

The silver lining is that there are many a mesothelioma survivor, who benefited from early detection and diagnosis as well as access to specialized treatment – to combat all ill effects of asbestos. A strong support system and a positive attitude to treatment plans also help in battling other asbestos-related diseases.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is another asbestos-related disease; it is a lung disease caused by asbestos exposure. Those who suffer from this disease contracted it due to inhalation of asbestos fibers over an extended period.

The release of asbestos airborne fibers proved to be harmful and resulted in breathing difficulties, lung tissue scarring, coughing, and in extreme cases, permanent lung damage.

Asbestos is increasingly hazardous since currently no cure exists for this lung disease. One can only manage symptoms and improve quality of life through supplemental oxygen therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation, and minimize or annihilate all possible contact with asbestos.

Release asbestos fibers and it gets inhaled and becomes a health hazard, the way it is seen in how this disease progresses. What’s worse is that over time, one’s lungs can lose their ability for proper expansion and contraction, therefore stiffening the lungs.

Other Asbestos-Related Diseases 

The asbestos industry also saw a rise in asbestos lawsuits due to asbestos-related diseases and many a lung disease such as pleural effusion, pleural plaques, and pleural thickening. All of these conditions affect the lungs and may lead to the accumulation of extra fluid in this highly significant organ.

Other respiratory conditions concerning asbestos exposure include bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. What is worse is that most asbestos-related diseases have a long latency period; that means that it can take ten to even fifty years to experience symptom onset.

Note that asbestos-related diseases may be conquered as long as there is a timely intervention for those exposed to asbestos. Of course, minimizing exposure from cement and insulation materials, and other types of asbestos, will also minimize the risk in the long run.

Industrial Risks Concerning Asbestos Exposure

Given the number of health hazards associated with asbestos materials, it is no wonder that there have been many asbestos regulations to address the growing problem. 

In fact, up until 2021, there have been Mineral Commodity Summaries (MCS) that reported information on asbestos until the cessation of its usage in the United States.

We discuss these regulations and related factors to asbestos in the section below, where we talk about occupational safety and health relative to asbestos exposure.

Lack of Proper Training and Awareness

A lot of workers may have possibly interacted with a contaminated type of asbestos (or even more) especially if there is no proper training and awareness regarding handling. The asbestos industry must at least ensure that workers know how to properly remove, dispose, and handle asbestos materials.

The same principle applies to building materials, construction materials, and other asbestos-containing materials.

Lack of Regulation

Some regions (like the United States) have already released regulations regarding asbestos use, but not all. While asbestos is a mineral and seems pretty harmless, there have been rampant concerns regarding proper enforcement, thereby still leaving the likelihood of vulnerable, unprotected workers.

For example, asbestos mining could still use better health and safety regulations, since asbestos mining requires knowledge of ventilation, dust control, monitoring, and personal protective equipment — all necessary in minimizing risks of asbestos exposure. 

What Can Be Done: Balancing Usage and Preventing Risks

One cannot deny the benefits of asbestos as a whole, provided that great caution is exercised and limitations are imposed. 

Workers, companies, and other stakeholders must follow measures that can prevent risks concerning asbestos material and other asbestos products (e.g., asbestos cement).

Below are some ideas concerning asbestos and how the mentioned risks can be prevented moving forward.

Geological Survey

A geological survey – provided that asbestos is a mineral – can help in identifying the presence of asbestos deposits in certain areas. By doing such surveys, locations where high concentrations of asbestos minerals can be identified.

Geological surveys can also assess not just the quantity but also the quality of asbestos resources in a given area. This will help in the proper planning and viability of asbestos mining operations.

Lastly, geological surveys can help any environmental protection agency and related organizations uphold their advocacy and the safety of all as they partner with environmental monitoring and regulations. 

Geological surveys can assess the natural occurrence of asbestos as well as its potential impact on air, water, and soil quality in a particular area; therefore, this can guide policymakers and regulatory bodies. 

Asbestos Management Plan

Another possible asbestos exposure prevention is to have an asbestos management plan. Any organization can outline procedures for proper handling, removal, and disposal of asbestos materials.

Part of the management plan is also proper education of residents and employees regarding asbestos containing material. 

They need to know how to identify Asbestos Containing Material (also known as ACMs), and property management also needs to conduct thorough asbestos inspection, especially in flooring (especially floor tiles), roofing, and piping.

Personal Protective Equipment 

Lastly, workers who may be prone to exposure to asbestos will benefit from the use of personal protective equipment. These include gloves, coveralls, respirators, and protective eyewear as they work on building materials and might encounter exposure to asbestos material.

Any worker will be glad to avoid and take all measures to mitigate all possibilities of lung cancer and ensure that they are not exposed to asbestos. 

In case there are still workers widely exposed to asbestos mines, PPE will also protect them from airborne asbestos exposure and harmful microscopic fibers. 

Companies With Known Asbestos Exposure

 

Conclusion

The legacy asbestos holds in industry is there to stay but it cannot continue if one does not accept asbestos-related realities and the risks that asbestos poses. 

Any environmental protection agency would agree that recalling all products (e.g., asbestos cement products) might not be the best solution, but at the very least, everyone must know the dangers asbestos causes and whenever necessary, how to remove asbestos from industrial processes.

It is also important to be judicious when diseases related to asbestos occurred or which one exists. For example, there is still not much research regarding the correlation of asbestos exposure or any asbestos fiber risk with ovarian cancer. 

Rumors also concerning contamination of talcum powder with asbestos must also be verified with proper information.

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