When is Asbestos Dangerous?

Asbestos-containing materials are generally not considered dangerous unless releasing dust or fiber into the air which can be inhaled or swallowed.

The most common way asbestos fibers enter the body is through breathing. In fact, Many fibers will be trapped in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat where they can then be removed, but some may go deep into the lungs, or if ingested, into the gastrointestinal tract. Once they are trapped in the body, fiber can cause health problems.

Asbestos most dangerous when loose. The term "loose" means asbestos is easily destroyed by the hand, releasing the fiber into the air. Sprayed on asbestos insulation is very loose. No asbestos tiles.

Ceiling tiles containing asbestos, floor tiles, laboratory cabinet tops that are not damaged, rashes, fire doors, siding herpes zoster, etc. will not release asbestos fibers unless they are disturbed or damaged in some way. If asbestos ceiling tiles are drilled or damaged, for example, it may release the fiber into the air. If left alone and undisturbed, it will not.

Damage and deterioration will increase the fragility of materials containing asbestos. Continuous water, vibration, aging, and physical impacts such as drilling, milling, milling, cutting, sawing, or strikes can break the material to make fiber release more likely.

Health effects

Because it is very difficult to destroy asbestos fibers, the body can not destroy them or throw them away once they are put into the lung or body tissues. They remain where they can cause illness.

There are three primary diseases associated with asbestos exposure:

1. Asbestosis

2. Lung cancer

3. Mesothelioma

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a chronic and chronic respiratory disease. Asbestos fibers inhalation worsens the lung tissue, which causes it to become scarred. Symptoms of asbestosis include shortness of breath and dry crackling of the lungs while inhaling. At an advanced stage, the disease can lead to heart failure.

There is no effective treatment for asbestosis; This disease usually negates or kills. The risk of asbestosis is minimal for those who do not work with asbestos; The disease is rarely caused by environmental or family exposure. Those who renovate or destroy buildings containing asbestos are at high risk, depending on the nature of the exposure and the precautions taken.

Lung cancer

Lung cancer causes the highest number of deaths associated with asbestos exposure. The incidence of lung cancer in people directly involved in mining, milling, manufacture and use of asbestos and its products is much higher than the general population. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and respiratory changes. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent chest pain, hoarseness, and anemia.

People who have been exposed to asbestos and also exposed to other carcinogens - such as cigarette smoke - have a much greater risk of lung cancer than people exposed to asbestos. One study found that asbestos workers who smoked about 90 times more likely to develop lung cancer than people who do not smoke and are also not exposed to asbestos.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is the most common form of rare cancer in the thin membrane lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen, and (rarely) heart. Approximately 200 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. Almost all cases of mesothelioma are associated with asbestos exposure. About 2 percent of all miners and textile workers work with asbestos, and 10 percent of all workers are involved in the manufacture of asbestos-containing gas masks, mesothelioma contracts.

People who work in asbestos mines, asbestos factories and factories, and asbestos-use ships, as well as those who produce and install asbestos insulation, have an increased risk of mesothelioma. So do people who live with asbestos workers, near the asbestos mining area, near the asbestos product factory or near the shipyard where the use of asbestos has produced a large amount of air asbestos fibers.

Other cancers

Evidence suggests that cancer in the esophagus, larynx, oral cavity, stomach, large intestine and kidneys can be caused by ingestion of asbestos. For more information on asbestos-related cancers, contact your local chapter of the American Cancer Society.

Defining factor

Three things seem to determine your likelihood of developing one of these asbestos-related diseases:

The number and duration of exposure - the more you are exposed to asbestos and the more fiber that enters your body, the more likely you are to develop asbestos-related problems. Although there is no "safe level" of asbestos exposure, people exposed more often for long periods are more at risk.

Whether you smoke or not - if you smoke and you are exposed to asbestos, you are far more likely to develop lung cancer than someone who does not smoke and who has not been exposed to asbestos. If you work with asbestos or have been exposed to it, the first thing you should do to reduce your chances of getting cancer is to quit smoking.

Age - cases of mesothelioma have occurred in children of asbestos workers whose exposure only comes from dust brought home on the clothes of family members working with asbestos. The younger people as they inhale asbestos, the more likely it is to develop mesothelioma. This is why much effort is being made to prevent schoolchildren from being exposed.

Since every asbestos exposure increases the body load of asbestos fibers, it is very important to reduce and minimize your exposure.

Source : http://ehs.oregonstate.edu

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