What Is Asbestos?
 |
What Is Asbestos? |
What Is Asbestos?
Asbestos is the common name for any variety of silicate materials that are fibrous in structure and are more resistant to acid and fire than other materials. It has two forms, serpentine and amphibole, and is made of impure magnesium silicate. Asbestos is used for thermal insulation, fire proofing, electrical insulation, building materials, brake linings and has been used in numerous industries.
Serpentine and amphibole asbestos both exhibit physical and chemical resistance to high temperatures and applied force. The raw ore of both forms is made up of fibrous strands. The strands then continue to split into smaller and thinner fibers as disturbance continues and increases. Asbestos' ore form will initially divide into visible strands, fiber bundles, and individual fibers. But then those visible strands, bundles, and fibers will continue to split into microscopic fibers, bundles, and strands. The splitting can continue on to minute levels of microscopic levels of detection. This process is unique to asbestos and is why airborne asbestos is such a problem. The fibers can become so small that they remain airborne longer and pass undetected by the respiratory dust defenses.
Physical characteristics differentiate the serpentine and amphibole forms. Serpentines divide into curly, wavy fibers that show little resistance to being bent or spiraled. Amphibole fibers are needlelike shards that show great resistance to being bent or curled. Serpentines are like man-made wool in appearance, where amphiboles are like man-made fiberglass.
In addition to the two forms, there are three main types of asbestos: chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite. Chrysotile asbestos is serpentine and amosite and crocidolite are amphibole. Chrysotile is the chief commercial asbestos today. Amosite is used in insulating materials and crocidolite is used for making asbestos-cement products.
Canada is a chief producer of asbestos, which has some of the largest asbestos mine fields in the world. Other producers are Russia, Zimbabwe, the Republic of South Africa, Cyprus, and the United States of America.
Asbestos is a potent carcinogen, that is, a cancer-causing substance, and is a serious health hazard. It is the known cause of pleural plaques, asbestosis, mesothelioma, and causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, and colon. Diseases caused by asbestos have a long latency period, usually taking ten to forty years before showing any symptoms of the disease. This is especially apparent today, when people who worked with installing asbestos as insulation and other materials in the 1970s are just now coming to realize that they are developing cancer at alarming rates.
Asbestos Exposure
With shipyards, Navy bases, power plants, paper mills, railroads and industrial plants located throughout the state, and the numerous retirees with similar employment histories; there are many Floridians who suffer from asbestos diseases. There were many types of asbestos products, especially pipe covering, boiler insulation, asbestos cement or "mud", brake linings, gaskets, packing, electric cable, roof shingles and floor tiles. Most who suffer from asbestos diseases have worked as, or near workers who were: insulators (laggers, asbestos workers), boilermakers, pipefitters, plumbers, electricians, sheet metal workers, machinists, welders, engineers, brake mechanics, railroad shop workers and Navy crewmen. Tragically, the spouses and children of such workers are also at risk, mainly for mesothelioma, since the hazardous asbestos dust often came to the home on work clothes.
Development of Asbestos Diseases
Asbestos diseases are latent and typically do not manifest until ten to fifty years after the first exposure to asbestos. Therefore, individuals exposed to asbestos at any point during the decades of 1940 through 1980 should be evaluated by a physician trained to diagnose asbestos diseases.
Asbestos Companies
Attempts by asbestos companies to avoid their liabilities through bankruptcy have caused some victims, and some lawyers, to think claims cannot be successfully pursued. However, many asbestos companies who chose to manufacture asbestos products despite their knowledge of the asbestos hazard are defendants today in suits in Florida's courts. Moreover, for the companies that have sought bankruptcy protection, typically there is a claims process for individuals suffering from asbestos disease.
The most common forms of asbestos disease are pleural plaques, asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a chronic, prolonged lung disease that is caused by continuous inhalation of asbestos particles. However, asbestosis is not cancerous. The second form, mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks mesothelium and is most commonly found in the lung. Mesothelioma is rare or nonexistent in non-asbestos exposed populations but is becoming more common among asbestos-exposed individuals. In the United States, there is no other known proven cause of mesothelioma other than asbestos. Unlike other forms of lung cancer, mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs and not a cancer that occurs inside the lung. Mesothelioma causes the cells of the mesothelium to become abnormal and infinitely reproduce.
A normal mesothelium cell (or any cell for that matter) can only reproduce a certain amount of times. This keeps certain cells from invading other cells. Cancer occurs when those cells become mutated and their limits are removed, allowing them to reproduce uncontrollably. These abnormal cells then form a lump that is known as a tumor. In a benign tumor the abnormal cells do not spread into surrounding areas, but malignant tumors do have the ability to spread. If the tumor is left untreated then it may spread and destroy the neighboring tissue. Sometimes cells can even break off the original tumor and spread to other organs and tissue through the bloodstream or the lympathic system. The lympathic system is part of the immune system. It is a complex system that includes the bone marrow, the thymus and the spleen, and lymph nodes throughout the body that are connected by a network of lympathic vessels. When the cancer cells reach a new site they may continue to divide and form a new tumor, which is referred to as a secondary tumor or a metastasis.
Mesothelial cells line the chest cavity, the abdominal cavity, and the cavity around the heart. They also cover the outer surface of most internal organs. The tissue that is formed by these mesothelial cells is called mesothelium. Mesothelium helps protect the organs by producing a lubricating fluid that lets organs move around. This fluid makes it easier for the lungs to expand and move around inside the chest during breathing. The mesothelium in the chest is called the pleura and the mesothelium around the abdomen is known as the peritoneum. The mesothelium around the heart (or the pericardial cavity, a sac like space around the heart) is called the pericardium.
The asbestos disease mesothelioma has a long latency period, where it is present but not evident or active. The disease can lie dormant for ten to sixty years after being exposed to asbestos. Because of this, it is often hard to determine the cause of mesothelioma.
Provides basic information about asbestos, including the health effects of asbestos exposure and why Canadian asbestos regulations are so strict.
About Home Repair: Asbestos Containing Materials
Did you know that these household materials may contain asbestos? When doing work around the home, be aware that some materials may contain asbestos. If asbestos is found, you'll need to handle the materials with special care.
EPA: Asbestos in Your Home
The EPA asbestos Web page contains general information on asbestos and vermiculite, laws and regulations that govern asbestos, EPA and state contacts, the roles of EPA and other federal agencies in asbestos, what to do if you suspect asbestos in your home, and where to obtain asbestos publications.
About Home Repair: How to Identify Asbestos in Your Home
Do you know what to do if you suspect that a material in your home may contain asbestos?
American Cancer Society: Malignant Mesothelioma
Provides general information about mesothelioma, information about risk factors and prevention, early detection, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and questions for your doctor.
See also: American Cancer Society: Malignant Mesothelioma (pdf - 52.3 KB)
W.R. Grace: Financial Reorganization
This site was developed to keep you updated on the latest news related to Grace's Chapter 11 filing.
CNN.com Law Center: The Supreme Court considers an asbestos case
(FindLaw) Sometimes it is easy to see why the U.S. Supreme Court takes up certain cases, and sometimes the justices' motives are quite obscure.
RLROUSE Directory: Mesothelioma Links
Directory of the very best hand-picked websites and resources on the web.
Asbestos is the common name for any variety of silicate materials that are fibrous in structure and are more resistant to acid and fire than other materials. It has two forms, serpentine and amphibole, and is made of impure magnesium silicate. Asbestos is used for thermal insulation, fire proofing, electrical insulation, building materials, brake linings and has been used in numerous industries.
Serpentine and amphibole asbestos both exhibit physical and chemical resistance to high temperatures and applied force. The raw ore of both forms is made up of fibrous strands. The strands then continue to split into smaller and thinner fibers as disturbance continues and increases. Asbestos' ore form will initially divide into visible strands, fiber bundles, and individual fibers. But then those visible strands, bundles, and fibers will continue to split into microscopic fibers, bundles, and strands. The splitting can continue on to minute levels of microscopic levels of detection. This process is unique to asbestos and is why airborne asbestos is such a problem. The fibers can become so small that they remain airborne longer and pass undetected by the respiratory dust defenses.
Physical characteristics differentiate the serpentine and amphibole forms. Serpentines divide into curly, wavy fibers that show little resistance to being bent or spiraled. Amphibole fibers are needlelike shards that show great resistance to being bent or curled. Serpentines are like man-made wool in appearance, where amphiboles are like man-made fiberglass.
In addition to the two forms, there are three main types of asbestos: chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite. Chrysotile asbestos is serpentine and amosite and crocidolite are amphibole. Chrysotile is the chief commercial asbestos today. Amosite is used in insulating materials and crocidolite is used for making asbestos-cement products.
Canada is a chief producer of asbestos, which has some of the largest asbestos mine fields in the world. Other producers are Russia, Zimbabwe, the Republic of South Africa, Cyprus, and the United States of America.
Asbestos is a potent carcinogen, that is, a cancer-causing substance, and is a serious health hazard. It is the known cause of pleural plaques, asbestosis, mesothelioma, and causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, and colon. Diseases caused by asbestos have a long latency period, usually taking ten to forty years before showing any symptoms of the disease. This is especially apparent today, when people who worked with installing asbestos as insulation and other materials in the 1970s are just now coming to realize that they are developing cancer at alarming rates.
History of Asbestos
Asbestos has been used for more than 2,000 years. It was named by the
Ancient Greeks, its name meaning "inextinguishable". The Greeks also
noted its harmful biological effects. Even though the Greek geographer
Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder both observed the
"sickness of the lungs" in the slaves that wove asbestos into cloth,
they were in such awe of asbestos' seemingly magical properties that
they ignored the symptoms.
The Greeks used asbestos for the wicks of the eternal flames of the vestal virgins, as the funeral dress for the cremation of kings, and as napkins. It is rumored that Romans would clean asbestos napkins by throwing them in the fire. The asbestos cloth would come out of the fire whiter than it went in, so the Romans named asbestos "amiantus", meaning "unpolluted".
Use of asbestos declined during the Middle Ages, yet some say that Charlemagne had asbestos tablecloths. Marco Polo was also shown items made from asbestos cloth on his travels.
Asbestos use was brought back in the 1700s, but did not become popular until the Industrial Revolution during the late 1800s. It then began to be used as insulation for steam pipes, turbines, boilers, kilns, ovens, and other high-temperature products. Ancient observations of the health risks of asbestos were either forgotten or ignored.
At the turn of the twentieth century, researchers began to notice a large number of deaths and lung problems in asbestos mining towns. In 1917 and 1918, it was observed by several studies in the United States that asbestos workers were dying unnaturally young.
The first diagnosis of asbestosis was made in 1924. A woman had been working with asbestos since she was thirteen. She died when she was thirty-three years old, and an English doctor determined that the cause of death was what he called "asbestosis". Because of this, a study was done on asbestos workers in England. Twenty-five percent of them showed evidence of asbestos-related lung disease. Laws were passed in 1931 to increase ventilation and to make asbestosis an excusable work-related disease. It would take the United States ten more years to make these steps.
In the 1930s major medical journals began to publish articles that linked asbestos to cancer. The re-discovery of asbestos-related diseases were put on the back burner for several years due to the emergence of silicosis (a lung disease caused by silica dust inhalation). The affected workers brought $300 million in lawsuits against their employers. This served as a warning to the asbestos companies, and afterwards they tried to cover up the health effects of asbestos. Asbestos companies continued to use asbestos in manufacturing and construction. Despite that many materials, such as fiberglass insulation, were created to replace asbestos, companies that used asbestos ignored the safer alternatives. They ignored the danger for the sake of profits, much like the tobacco industry. The conduct of the asbestos companies is especially egregious, however, because the victims were largely exploited workers who were unaware of the serious health risks they were exposed to on a daily basis.
Asbestos Disease
Hundreds of thousands of
Americans suffer from asbestos diseases: mesothelioma (cancer of the lining
of the lung or abdominal cavity, also known as asbestos cancer), lung
cancer, throat cancer, colon cancer, asbestosis and pleural disease.The Greeks used asbestos for the wicks of the eternal flames of the vestal virgins, as the funeral dress for the cremation of kings, and as napkins. It is rumored that Romans would clean asbestos napkins by throwing them in the fire. The asbestos cloth would come out of the fire whiter than it went in, so the Romans named asbestos "amiantus", meaning "unpolluted".
Use of asbestos declined during the Middle Ages, yet some say that Charlemagne had asbestos tablecloths. Marco Polo was also shown items made from asbestos cloth on his travels.
Asbestos use was brought back in the 1700s, but did not become popular until the Industrial Revolution during the late 1800s. It then began to be used as insulation for steam pipes, turbines, boilers, kilns, ovens, and other high-temperature products. Ancient observations of the health risks of asbestos were either forgotten or ignored.
At the turn of the twentieth century, researchers began to notice a large number of deaths and lung problems in asbestos mining towns. In 1917 and 1918, it was observed by several studies in the United States that asbestos workers were dying unnaturally young.
The first diagnosis of asbestosis was made in 1924. A woman had been working with asbestos since she was thirteen. She died when she was thirty-three years old, and an English doctor determined that the cause of death was what he called "asbestosis". Because of this, a study was done on asbestos workers in England. Twenty-five percent of them showed evidence of asbestos-related lung disease. Laws were passed in 1931 to increase ventilation and to make asbestosis an excusable work-related disease. It would take the United States ten more years to make these steps.
In the 1930s major medical journals began to publish articles that linked asbestos to cancer. The re-discovery of asbestos-related diseases were put on the back burner for several years due to the emergence of silicosis (a lung disease caused by silica dust inhalation). The affected workers brought $300 million in lawsuits against their employers. This served as a warning to the asbestos companies, and afterwards they tried to cover up the health effects of asbestos. Asbestos companies continued to use asbestos in manufacturing and construction. Despite that many materials, such as fiberglass insulation, were created to replace asbestos, companies that used asbestos ignored the safer alternatives. They ignored the danger for the sake of profits, much like the tobacco industry. The conduct of the asbestos companies is especially egregious, however, because the victims were largely exploited workers who were unaware of the serious health risks they were exposed to on a daily basis.
Asbestos Exposure
With shipyards, Navy bases, power plants, paper mills, railroads and industrial plants located throughout the state, and the numerous retirees with similar employment histories; there are many Floridians who suffer from asbestos diseases. There were many types of asbestos products, especially pipe covering, boiler insulation, asbestos cement or "mud", brake linings, gaskets, packing, electric cable, roof shingles and floor tiles. Most who suffer from asbestos diseases have worked as, or near workers who were: insulators (laggers, asbestos workers), boilermakers, pipefitters, plumbers, electricians, sheet metal workers, machinists, welders, engineers, brake mechanics, railroad shop workers and Navy crewmen. Tragically, the spouses and children of such workers are also at risk, mainly for mesothelioma, since the hazardous asbestos dust often came to the home on work clothes.
Development of Asbestos Diseases
Asbestos diseases are latent and typically do not manifest until ten to fifty years after the first exposure to asbestos. Therefore, individuals exposed to asbestos at any point during the decades of 1940 through 1980 should be evaluated by a physician trained to diagnose asbestos diseases.
Asbestos Companies
Attempts by asbestos companies to avoid their liabilities through bankruptcy have caused some victims, and some lawyers, to think claims cannot be successfully pursued. However, many asbestos companies who chose to manufacture asbestos products despite their knowledge of the asbestos hazard are defendants today in suits in Florida's courts. Moreover, for the companies that have sought bankruptcy protection, typically there is a claims process for individuals suffering from asbestos disease.
The most common forms of asbestos disease are pleural plaques, asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a chronic, prolonged lung disease that is caused by continuous inhalation of asbestos particles. However, asbestosis is not cancerous. The second form, mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks mesothelium and is most commonly found in the lung. Mesothelioma is rare or nonexistent in non-asbestos exposed populations but is becoming more common among asbestos-exposed individuals. In the United States, there is no other known proven cause of mesothelioma other than asbestos. Unlike other forms of lung cancer, mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs and not a cancer that occurs inside the lung. Mesothelioma causes the cells of the mesothelium to become abnormal and infinitely reproduce.
A normal mesothelium cell (or any cell for that matter) can only reproduce a certain amount of times. This keeps certain cells from invading other cells. Cancer occurs when those cells become mutated and their limits are removed, allowing them to reproduce uncontrollably. These abnormal cells then form a lump that is known as a tumor. In a benign tumor the abnormal cells do not spread into surrounding areas, but malignant tumors do have the ability to spread. If the tumor is left untreated then it may spread and destroy the neighboring tissue. Sometimes cells can even break off the original tumor and spread to other organs and tissue through the bloodstream or the lympathic system. The lympathic system is part of the immune system. It is a complex system that includes the bone marrow, the thymus and the spleen, and lymph nodes throughout the body that are connected by a network of lympathic vessels. When the cancer cells reach a new site they may continue to divide and form a new tumor, which is referred to as a secondary tumor or a metastasis.
Mesothelial cells line the chest cavity, the abdominal cavity, and the cavity around the heart. They also cover the outer surface of most internal organs. The tissue that is formed by these mesothelial cells is called mesothelium. Mesothelium helps protect the organs by producing a lubricating fluid that lets organs move around. This fluid makes it easier for the lungs to expand and move around inside the chest during breathing. The mesothelium in the chest is called the pleura and the mesothelium around the abdomen is known as the peritoneum. The mesothelium around the heart (or the pericardial cavity, a sac like space around the heart) is called the pericardium.
The asbestos disease mesothelioma has a long latency period, where it is present but not evident or active. The disease can lie dormant for ten to sixty years after being exposed to asbestos. Because of this, it is often hard to determine the cause of mesothelioma.
Asbestos Litigation
If you or someone you know has an asbestos related disease - like
asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma - then you are angry, hurt, and
you probably hold the company responsible for not warning you of the
dangers of asbestos. You know that either you or your loved one was
exposed to asbestos fibers decades ago when it was used in a wide array
of products. So now what do you do? One common course of action is to
bring a lawsuit against the asbestos manufacturer.
To do that, you need an asbestos lawyer. One of the topics in this section is devoted to help you make the right decision in choosing the right asbestos lawyer for your case. You can also read about company liability and how asbestos manufacturers tried to prevent knowledge of the hazards of asbestos from reaching the public.
To do that, you need an asbestos lawyer. One of the topics in this section is devoted to help you make the right decision in choosing the right asbestos lawyer for your case. You can also read about company liability and how asbestos manufacturers tried to prevent knowledge of the hazards of asbestos from reaching the public.
Asbestos Resources
University of Alberta: Asbestos Fact SheetProvides basic information about asbestos, including the health effects of asbestos exposure and why Canadian asbestos regulations are so strict.
About Home Repair: Asbestos Containing Materials
Did you know that these household materials may contain asbestos? When doing work around the home, be aware that some materials may contain asbestos. If asbestos is found, you'll need to handle the materials with special care.
EPA: Asbestos in Your Home
The EPA asbestos Web page contains general information on asbestos and vermiculite, laws and regulations that govern asbestos, EPA and state contacts, the roles of EPA and other federal agencies in asbestos, what to do if you suspect asbestos in your home, and where to obtain asbestos publications.
About Home Repair: How to Identify Asbestos in Your Home
Do you know what to do if you suspect that a material in your home may contain asbestos?
American Cancer Society: Malignant Mesothelioma
Provides general information about mesothelioma, information about risk factors and prevention, early detection, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and questions for your doctor.
See also: American Cancer Society: Malignant Mesothelioma (pdf - 52.3 KB)
W.R. Grace: Financial Reorganization
This site was developed to keep you updated on the latest news related to Grace's Chapter 11 filing.
CNN.com Law Center: The Supreme Court considers an asbestos case
(FindLaw) Sometimes it is easy to see why the U.S. Supreme Court takes up certain cases, and sometimes the justices' motives are quite obscure.
RLROUSE Directory: Mesothelioma Links
Directory of the very best hand-picked websites and resources on the web.
