18. Asbestos Flashcards
what type of metal is asbestos? something about texture
it is fibrous and hazardous to humans
has super tiny fibres we can’t see
what groups of asbestos are theree
Serpentine and amphibole
what is a serpentine mineral
Chrysotile
characteristic of chrysotile
curly fibres
what are amphibole minerals
Amosite
Crocidolite
tremolite
actinolite
anthophyllite
characteeristic of amphiboles
straight fibres
how small is asbestos
extremely extremely
where are asbestos so readily available
High tensile strength
chemical and thermal stability
high flexibility
low electrical conductivity
large surface area
fire resistance
what is asbestos used for
insulation
cement building
fibre cement boards
textiles
gaskets
pads for cars
brake lining
where is asbestos used in a house building
Insulation
Floor, ceiling tiles
house sidings
car/truck pads
furnaces adn heating systems
cement and plaster
(Chrysotile )
Nickname
Size
Biodurability
Use
Disease
white asbestos
thin and short
fairly low
90% of commercial asbestos is this
Lung cancer, Mesothelioma (debated)
(Crocidolite)
Nickname
Size
Biodurability
Use
Disease
Blue asbestos
Very thing and long
Very high
now little
High risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer, plaques
Tremolite
Size
Biodurability
Use
Disease
Thin and long
high
none
high risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer
Actinolite
Size
Biodurability
Use
Disease
thin and long
high
none
high risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer
Amosite
Nickname
Size
Biodurability
Use
Disease
brown asbestos
thin and long
high
limited
high risk of mesothelioma, lung cancer
Anthophyllite
Size
Biodurability
Use
Disease
thicker fibers
high
now none
Low risk of mesothelioma, medium risk lung cancer, high risk of plaques
how are chrysotile fibres like
white, flexible, curly
which mineral of asbestos breaks down easiest in body
chrysotile
how are crocidolite fibres like
blue and straight fibres
what is the most dangerous asbestos mineral
crocidolite
hard to break down
high resistance to acid
what colour is tremolite
milky white colour
what colour is actinolite
light to dark green
what type of fibres do tremolite and actinolite have
sharp fibres easy to inhale and ingest
what are amosite fibres like
needle-like sharp
easily trapped in lungs from inhaling and ingesting
what is 2nd most common type of asbestos
amosite
mining what products lead to anthophyllite find
Vermiculite and talc
what colour is anthophyllite
white to gray to brown
what are some impacts of asbestos stated in workspace BC video
number 1 killer of workers in BC
Gets stuck in lungs and causes long term tissue scarring
High chance of dealing with asbestos as used in construction and house remodelling
they go into lungs and since tissues try to find it, they get damaged
what type of asbestos is still mined in large scale
chrysolite
which country is top chrysolite producer
Russia, major mines in asbest
1 million metric tones in 2015
which countries are also top chrysolite producers
China, Brazil and Kazakhstan
which countries imports chrysolite
india, china and indonesia
300K , 200K and 150 K metric tonnes
in which rocks are asbestos minerals found
Metamorphic rocks
when did canada’s mines stop operating
2011
ethics of exporting asbestos minerals to 3rd world countries
- sold to 3rd world countries because they don’t have stringent rules
- causing drastic medical issues
where was the last 2 asbestos mines in Canada, when did they close
2011, in quebec
- Lac d-amiante du canada
- jefferey mine
what was the wrolds largest asbestos mine
Jeffery mine
why did mines close in canada
- Quebecois party won against liberals
- the 58 million loan to continue running asbestos mine for 20 years got cancelled
what are the non cancerous health impacts of asbestos
- Asbestosis
- Pleural plaques
what is asbestosis
lungs become fibrotic, scar tissue forms
gas exchange decreases
shortness of breath
no cure
Pulmonary fibrosis
goes into bronchia
what is pleural plaques
white raised patches inside chest cavity made of connective tissue
appears after 30 years, slowly grow larger
what is the most common effect of asbestos inhalation
Pleural plaques
what are cancerous asbestos health impacts
lung cancer and mesothelioma
lung cancer
cumulates with smoking
mesothelioma
- no correlation to smoking
- tumours grow in pleura
- manifest 20+ years after exposure
- rare cancer that surrounds lungs
- kills 60% within first year of symptoms
- 5 year survival rate under 7%
- calcium buildup in scar tissue leads to this after inflammation
- these cells can pull fluid into pleural space which forms an effusion
what is pleura
tissues that surround the lung
where are canadians most likely to get exposed to asbestos
residential building construction
building equipment contractors
building finishing contractors
( mostly in construction trade )
no many rights to speak up and got to rush to meet deadlines
which country was the first to ban asbestos
Iceland then sweden then germany then UK
is asbestos banned in canada
yes full ban of use, sale and import in 2018
except military, nuclear, chlor-alkali industries
except magnesium extraction from asbestos mining residue
asbestos and WHO
declared a human carcinogen 30 years ago
do houses in calgary have asbestos
before 1990 yes
Pipes
drywall
insulation
floortiles
roofing
siding
heating systems, air ducts
plumbing
should i remove asbestos from home
if not disturbed through damages and renovation, minimal health risk so no need
