By: Alex Mos
Asbestos is a generic name given to six fibrous minerals that have been used in commercial products. It is mined in various parts of the world, especially in South Africa and Canada. Natural asbestos is found in two varieties: serpentine asbestos and amphibole asbestos. Asbestos it is usually mixed with other materials to actually form the products such as building materials and vehicle brakes.
Asbestos is very well known for its unusual qualities as an insulating material that is heat and fire resistant. It is widely used as a binder in cement, as insulation, and in anti-fire walls. Asbestos is found in many workplaces and homes, though is a serious health risk.
Asbestos is addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, and the construction industry. Asbestos is still being used in manufacture of products and is known as the greatest single cause of work-related deaths.
Asbestos is far more common than most of us realize. The truth is that it is highly toxic and exposure to high levels of asbestos for a long time can cause very serious health problems, a wide range of lung diseases that are slow to develop but deadly in many cases. However, there are many cases of people who developed asbestos lung cancer though they had very little exposure or have been exposed indirectly, asbestos dust brought into the home on the shoes, clothing, skin, and hair of workers.
The primary effects from exposure to asbestos are to the respiratory system. Asbestos can cause deadly diseases like Mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Exposure most often occurs on the job and health effects from exposure have a delay or latency period. Working with asbestos is one of the major risk factor causing cancer and other respiratory diseases.
Mesothelioma is a unique form of cancer, decades might pass between the asbestos exposure and appearance of symptoms. Generally, the probability of developing this form of cancer is in accordance with the length of time you are exposed to asbestos. Mesothelioma occurs when asbestos dust is breathed into the lungs and lodges in the lining.
The people most at risk from being carriers of this cancer are those have worked with asbestos over the past thirty to fifty years. Our study showed a high incidence of Mesothelioma and a high ratio of Mesothelioma to lung cancer among asbestos-cement workers. Many reports say that Mesothelioma is a formerly rare cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure, with 85% of cases in men.
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