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Anthophyllite, actinolite, tremolite, crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile are all minerals that make up asbestos fibers. It occurs naturally in rocks and soil in many areas. The hardyness of these micro pieces make them hard to destroy this is why they are so dangerous. The fibers vary in length and may be straight or curled and are very pliable.
It is and has been used in a wide range of manufactured goods both in the construction industry: roofing shingles, floor & ceiling tiles, paper products, cement products, in the automotive industry in friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts), textiles, packaging, gaskets, and coatings. Asbestos products have been used for years in the ship building trade.
How does asbestos effect the body?
The thing that makes asbestos so good for manufacturing is the same thing that makes it so bad for the body; it’s durability and resistance to chemicals & outside forces. When the particles become airborne they are microscopic in size and easily inhaled. Having penetrated the human body these fibers become lodged in the mesothelium or lining of the major organs.
The body secretes acid to try to eliminate the micro fiber that has become lodged into the mesothelium or lining of the major organs of the body, but this action actually causes more damage to the body. Years after the original exposure to asbestos scarring and fluid build up are found withing the lungs causing either mesothelioma and asbestosis.
The symptoms of mesothelioma don’t appear from anywhere from 20-50 years making it very hard to diagnose since it may have been years if not decades since the original exposure to asbestos.
Pneumonia is one disease that is commonly confused for mesothelioma since many of the symptoms closely mirror the more serious disease.
Tags: asbestos, asbestos fibers, asbestos poisoning, mesothelioma