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Asbestos warning label. Figure A shows the location of the lungs, airways, pleura, and diaphragm in the body. Figure B shows lungs with asbestos-related diseases, including pleural plaque, lung cancer, asbestosis, plaque on the diaphragm, and mesothelioma. Left-sided mesothelioma (seen on the right of the picture): chest CT
Asbestos (/ æ s ˈ b ɛ s t ə s, æ z-,-t ɒ s / ass-BES-təs, az-, -toss) [1] is a group of naturally occurring, toxic, carcinogenic and fibrous silicate minerals.There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre (particulate with length substantially greater than width) [2] being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into ...
The amount and length of an individual's exposure to asbestos are the primary factors that determine the level of risk. The longer one is exposed to the substance, the higher their risk of developing lung damage. Families of exposed workers can be affected because asbestos fibers from clothing and hair can end up in the home.
Asbestos-related diseases are disorders of the lung and pleura caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibres. Asbestos-related diseases include non-malignant disorders such as asbestosis (pulmonary fibrosis due to asbestos), diffuse pleural thickening, pleural plaques, pleural effusion, rounded atelectasis and malignancies such as lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma.
A ferruginous body is a histopathologic finding in interstitial lung disease suggestive of significant asbestos exposure . Asbestos exposure is associated with occupations such as shipbuilding, roofing, plumbing, and construction. They appear as small brown nodules in the septum of the alveolus.
The most common asbestiform mineral is chrysotile, commonly called "white asbestos", a magnesium phyllosilicate part of the serpentine group. Other asbestiform minerals include riebeckite, an amphibole whose fibrous form is known as crocidolite or "blue asbestos", and brown asbestos, a cummingtonite-grunerite solid solution series.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). [10] The area most commonly affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall.
Similarly, Natural Resources Canada once stated that chrysotile, one of the fibres that make up asbestos, was not as dangerous as once thought. According to a fact sheet from 2003, "current knowledge and modern technology can successfully control the potential for health and environmental harm posed by chrysotile". [ 30 ]