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What Is Asbestos and What are The Associated Risk Factors?

There are several descriptions of asbestos, but the commonly accepted ones describe it as a fibrous mineral that is naturally found in three forms: chrysotile-white in color, amosite-brown in color and crocidolite-blue in color. Asbestos belongs to a family of silicate minerals and its other chemical name is magnesium silicate. It is fibrous in composition as it is made up of thin, thread like fine strands. Asbestos is derived from a group of Greek words in which ‘a’ means not and ‘sbestos’ means flammable.

Asbestos is such a versatile mineral with several incomparable properties that no substitute organic or inorganic mineral has come close to it. The never ending qualities of asbestos include the following:

• inert
• fire-proof
• heat-proof
• chemical resistant
• pliable
• strong
• long-lasting

Because of its multi-faceted characteristics Asbestos has been put to use by the engineering and manufacturing industries in many diverse way such as:

• car brakes
• house roofs
• insulation around boilers
• fabrics
• house hold products
• pipelines installed with insulation asbestos material
• cement mixtures
• cladding

Previously they were also used in toasters, dryers and ironing boards. Now more or less asbestos has been discontinued due to its risk factors. These risk factors are not minor in nature and are quite injurious to anyone who has been in contact with asbestos even for a short time period. What makes the asbestos exposure complicated is that its effects are not immediately noticeable, infact it starts to manifest itself after 20-30 years. By then it is usually too late. The patient comes down with any of the three types of dangerous diseases and that are usually fatal:

Asbestosis: A high level of exposure to asbestos leads to asbestosis in which lung coverings are damaged of the patient. Asbestosis may be caused due to long-term or short term exposure. Asbestosis is non-malignant meaning not cancerous but there are breathing difficulties and other symptoms associated with respiratory illnesses.

Lung Cancer: When cancerous cells attack the lungs then it is a sure shot sign of lung cancer. Smoking usually causes lung cancer and that is why it is difficult to find out the real cause of lung cancer. As it can be due to smoking or asbestos.

Mesothelioma: This is a rare type of cancer in which malignant cancerous cells live in the tissue membranes of the internal organs. The malignant cells are found in the lining of the lungs and stomach.