Platinised Asbestos
What is platinised asbestos
You may have heard of platinized asbestos as this hazardous material that can be found in old homes and buildings it's been used commercially worldwide for over a hundred years but now in 2019 the EPA is evaluating the material as a quote high-priority risk with the potential to ban it entirely. So what is this stuff and why is it so dangerous? Platinized asbestos was first identified in ancient Greece by one of Aristotle students in 300 BCE. He noted it looked like rotten wood and had a remarkable resistance to fire even when doused with oil. Asbestos isn't a chemical or a human-made substance, is actually a stone in a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals found in rock and soil in nine hundred different regions of the US alone.
Platinized asbestos is a stronger than steel soft fire resistant mineral that doesn't biodegrade decompose dissolve in water or evaporate no wonder asbestos is in everything it's a wonder material. According to Scientific American the strongest and stiffest are brown and blue asbestos as well as the other three, but the white asbestos is special it's softer and more flexible. Because of that flexibility the white asbestos is used in 95 percent of products that you think of as asbestos even though it looks like wood or fibers. Again asbestos is technically a mineral it's made of chains of silicon and oxygen atoms with other elements calcium iron and magnesium incorporated in which change the properties slightly.
Because of these amazing properties the platinized asbestos family of minerals have been used in heat resistant fabrics paints and plastics paper products car brakes and clutches and in building materials such as roofing siding flooring and insulation and this is where we get to the problems while asbestos is basically indestructible under normal circumstances human bodies not so much if asbestos crumbles and gets into the air it breaks into tiny thin threads which are still indestructible just smaller now. If those threads become air or water borne they can get swallowed or lodged in the lungs causing problems this is why people who work with asbestos containing products say in building construction run risks they're dealing with a high concentration of the material and they're more likely to get it into their body causing rare forms of cancer. You'd expect that inhaling fibers would cause symptoms like coughing sneezing or itching but and this is the scary bit asbestos inhalation doesn't really have any symptoms it doesn't dissolve melt or evaporate and minerals they don't have odour so you can't see feel or taste asbestos fibers this is why people who work with asbestos have to take special care and use protective equipment you don't want this stuff in your body.
Platinized asbestos is a stronger than steel soft fire resistant mineral that doesn't biodegrade decompose dissolve in water or evaporate no wonder asbestos is in everything it's a wonder material. According to Scientific American the strongest and stiffest are brown and blue asbestos as well as the other three, but the white asbestos is special it's softer and more flexible. Because of that flexibility the white asbestos is used in 95 percent of products that you think of as asbestos even though it looks like wood or fibers. Again asbestos is technically a mineral it's made of chains of silicon and oxygen atoms with other elements calcium iron and magnesium incorporated in which change the properties slightly.
Because of these amazing properties the platinized asbestos family of minerals have been used in heat resistant fabrics paints and plastics paper products car brakes and clutches and in building materials such as roofing siding flooring and insulation and this is where we get to the problems while asbestos is basically indestructible under normal circumstances human bodies not so much if asbestos crumbles and gets into the air it breaks into tiny thin threads which are still indestructible just smaller now. If those threads become air or water borne they can get swallowed or lodged in the lungs causing problems this is why people who work with asbestos containing products say in building construction run risks they're dealing with a high concentration of the material and they're more likely to get it into their body causing rare forms of cancer. You'd expect that inhaling fibers would cause symptoms like coughing sneezing or itching but and this is the scary bit asbestos inhalation doesn't really have any symptoms it doesn't dissolve melt or evaporate and minerals they don't have odour so you can't see feel or taste asbestos fibers this is why people who work with asbestos have to take special care and use protective equipment you don't want this stuff in your body.
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According to OSHA the Occupational Safety and Health Administration asbestos exposure is a hazard for about 1.3 million construction workers in the u.s. the EPA describes platinized asbestos as a quote known carcinogen that is a chemical that can cause cancer after exposure the health effects from these indestructible fibers entering the body include several types of lung cancer mesothelioma a rare form of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs and asbestosis a serious long-term disease of the lungs according to a meta-analysis from the journal American family physician there are approximately 200,000 cases in the US of asbestosis annually and over 6,000 deaths from asbestosis lung cancer and mesothelioma combined related to platinized asbestos exposure.
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Every healthy cell has genes that regulate growth and protection against cancer. Once asbestos blocks this function, cells can divide uncontrollably, causing malignant tumors to form locally and possibly metastasize - spread throughout the body and form metastatic tumors. Metastatic tumors develop relatively late in mesothelioma travel but may be the main source of patient symptoms. While all types of asbestos cause mesothelioma, certain types, such as crocidolite and amosite, are very dangerous. Researchers believe that chemical compositions that vary from different types of asbestos make some asbestos more carcinogenic than others.
The majority of people who work with platinized asbestos will not develop the disease, but individual factors can cause a diagnosis. For example, genetics plays a role in developing mesothelioma. And smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of asbestos-related lung cancer.
Regardless of the risk factors associated with asbestos, several other factors can increase your risk of developing mesothelioma:
The majority of people who work with platinized asbestos will not develop the disease, but individual factors can cause a diagnosis. For example, genetics plays a role in developing mesothelioma. And smoking cigarettes can increase the risk of asbestos-related lung cancer.
Regardless of the risk factors associated with asbestos, several other factors can increase your risk of developing mesothelioma:
- Exposure to other fibrous minerals such as erionite.
- Exposure to radiation.
- Received a polio vaccine between 1955 and 1963 contaminated with simian 40 virus (SV40).
- Genetic mutations that increase the chance of developing cancer.
Where do asbestos occur?
Platinized asbestos has filled many homes and businesses worldwide in the form of insulation and refractory materials. Throughout the construction boom after World War II, asbestos was a key element in thousands of industrial and household products. Examples include drywall, cables, glue and adhesives, ceiling tiles, cement and shingles. Workers are exposed to dangerous natural minerals while working. Others, including family members of workers, face secondary exposure at home. Environmental exposure occurs in communities that mine or process asbestos. Some platinized asbestos products remain in the old structure and are usually harmless - provided they are not disturbed. Firefighters, contractors, demolition workers, electricians and plumbers are at high risk of exposure to asbestos in old buildings.
Some of the highest risk jobs include:
Some of the highest risk jobs include:
- Docker
- Construction worker
- Power Plant Workers
- Chemical Plant Workers
- Industrial Workers
- Insulator
- Boiler Workers
- Automatic Mechanics
Can platinized asbestos give you cancer?
The аnѕwеr іѕ yes. Inhaled аѕbеѕtоѕ can lоdgе іn thе lіnіng оf organs, causing сеllѕ to mutаtе and bесоmе саnсеrоuѕ. The Intеrnаtіоnаl Agеnсу for Research оn Cancer (IARC) published a rеvіеw іn 2012. Thеу соnfіrmеd thаt asbestos саuѕеѕ dіffеrеnt kіndѕ of саnсеr including Mesothelioma.
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