Fibrous asbestos on muscovite

Asbestos

Asbestos

Asbestos (a misapplication of Latin: asbestos "quicklime" from Greek ἄσβεστος: a-, "not"; sbestos, "extinguishable") describes any of a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals of the hydrous magnesium silicate variety. The name is derived for its historical use in lamp wicks; the resistance of asbestos to fire has long been exploited for a variety of purposes. It was used in fabrics such as Egyptian burial cloths and Charlemagne's tablecloth, which, according to legend, he threw in a fire to clean. Asbestos occurs naturally in many forms (see below); it is mined from metamorphic deposits. Image File history File linksMetadata Asbestos_with_muscovite. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Asbestos_with_muscovite. ... Muscovite layer Muscovite, also known as potash mica, is a phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(F,OH)2. ... Asbestos. ... Asbestos. ... Asbestos. ... Asbestos. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as lime or quicklime, is a widely used chemical compound. ... Metamorphic rock is the result of the transformation of a pre-existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means change in form (from the Greek words meta, change, and morphe, form). The protolith is subjected to extreme heat (greater than 150 degrees Celsius) and pressure causing... Hydrates are compounds formed by the union of water with some other substance, generally forming a neutral body, as certain crystallized salts. ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 24. ... In chemistry, a silicate is a compound consisting of silicon and oxygen (SixOy), one or more metals, and possibly hydrogen. ... Charlemagne (2 April 742 or 747 – 28 January 814) (also Charles the Great; from Latin, Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus), son of King Pippin the Short and Bertrada of Laon, was the king of the Franks from 768 to 814 and king of the Lombards from 774 to 814. ...

When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibers are typically mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats. It is used in brake shoes and gaskets for its heat resistance, and in the past was used on electric oven and hotplate wiring for its electrical insulation at elevated temperature, and in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, its tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals. However, the inhalation of some kinds of asbestos fibers causes various serious illnesses, including cancer, and thus most uses of asbestos are banned in many countries. Fiberglass has been found to be a suitable substitute for thermal insulation and woven ceramic fiber performs as well or better as an insulator of high-temperature electrical conductors. Cement is a material for bonding stone or brick. ... A brake is a device for slowing or stopping the motion of a machine, and to keep it from starting to move. ... This article is about mechanical seals. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Strength of materials. ... When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... Fiberglass or fibreglass is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ... Crown The word ceramic is derived from the Greek word κεραμικος (keramikos, having to do with pottery). The term covers inorganic non-metallic materials whose formation is due to the action of heat. ...

Most respirable asbestos fibers are invisible to the unaided human eye because their size is about 3.0-20.0 µm in length and can be as thin as 0.01 µm. Human hair ranges in size from 17 to 181 µm.[1] Fibers ultimately form because when these minerals originally cooled and crystallized, they formed by the polymeric molecules lining up parallel with each other and forming oriented crystal lattices. These crystals thus have three cleavage planes as other minerals and gemstones have. But in their case, there are two cleavage planes that are much weaker than the third direction. Thus when sufficient force is applied they tend to break along their weakest directions, resulting in a linear fragmentation pattern and hence a fibrous form. This fracture process can keep occurring over and over until they have been broken down to their smallest unit dimensions. For this reason, one larger asbestos fiber can ultimately become the source of hundreds of much thinner and smaller fibers in a normal environment over the course of time. As they get smaller and lighter, they become more mobile and more easily entrained (wafted) into the air, where human respiratory exposures typically result. A micrometre (American spelling: micrometer), symbol µm, is an SI unit of length. ... Polymer is a generic term used to describe a very long molecule consisting of structural units and repeating units connected by covalent chemical bonds. ... Rose des Sables (Sand Rose), formed of gypsum crystals In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ...

Confusingly, the Modern Greek word άσβεστος means quicklime. Modern Greek (Νεοελληνική, lit. ... Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as lime, quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. ...

Types of asbestos

Chrysotile asbestos

Asbestos fibres

• Chrysotile, or white asbestos, CAS No. 12001-29-5, is obtained from Canadian serpentine rocks. It is less friable (and therefore less likely to be inhaled) than the other types and is the type most often used industrially. Chrysotile should not be confused with chrysolite, a synonym of olivine. There is some evidence that this form of asbestos is not actually harmful when inhaled. However it should be noted that there is also evidence that this type of asbestos is harmful, although not perhaps as harmful as other forms (refer to UK Health & Safety Commission report Asbestos: Effects on health of exposure to asbestos, 1985). One formula given for Chrysotile is Na₂Fe²⁺₃Fe³⁺₂Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂.

• Amosite, CAS No. 12172-73-5, also known as Grunerite or brown asbestos, is an amphibole from Africa, named as an acronym from Asbestos Mines of South Africa. One formula given for Amosite is Fe₇Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂.

• Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, CAS No. 12001-28-4, is an amphibole from Africa and Australia. It is the fibrous form of riebeckite. Blue asbestos is commonly thought of as the most dangerous type of asbestos (see above and below). One formula given for Crocidolite is Na₂Fe²⁺₃Fe³⁺₂Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂.

Notes: Serpentine rocks are those with curled fibres. Amphiboles have straight, needle-like fibres. Asbestos (chrysotile). ... Asbestos (chrysotile). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (880x665, 153 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Asbestos Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (880x665, 153 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Asbestos Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Chrysotile Asbestos Chrysotile is an asbestiform sub-group within the serpentine group of minerals. ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures and alloys. ... Serpentine Serpentine is a group of common rock-forming hydrous magnesium iron phyllosilicate ((Mg, Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4) minerals; it is also often rich in other metal ores, including chromium, manganese, cobalt and nickel. ... Olivine The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 in which the ratio of magnesium and iron varies between the two endmembers of the series: forsterite (Mg-rich) and fayalite (Fe-rich). ... Olivine The mineral olivine is a magnesium iron silicate with the formula (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 in which the ratio of magnesium and iron varies between the two endmembers of the series: forsterite (Mg-rich) and fayalite (Fe-rich). ... Amosite is a commonly commercially-used synonym of grunerite first used by Hall. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ... Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial letter or letters of words, such as NATO and XHTML, and are pronounced in a way that is distinct from the full pronunciation of what the letters stand for. ... Amphibole (Hornblende) Amphibole defines an important group of dark-colored rock-forming inosilicate minerals composed of double chain SiO4 tetrahedra linked at the vertices and generally containing ions of iron and/ or magnesium in their structures. ... Riebeckite is a sodium-rich member of the amphibole group of minerals, chemical formula Na2(Fe,Mg)5Si8O22(OH)2. ... For the logical fallacy, see Amphibology. ...

The amphiboles, in their fibrous form, are friable and therefore the most carcinogenic, although they also exist in safer non-fibrous forms. Asbestos with particularly fine fibers is also referred to as "amianthus".

Other asbestos minerals, such as tremolite, CAS No. 77536-68-6, Ca₂Mg₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂; actinolite (or smaragdite), CAS No. 77536-66-4, Ca₂(Mg, Fe)₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂; and anthophyllite, CAS No. 77536-67-5, (Mg, Fe)₇Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂; are less-used industrially but can still be found in a variety of construction materials and insulations and occur in a few consumer products, such as talcum powders and vermiculite. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned all construction-related products that have asbestos content of 1% or greater. It has also banned asbestos in all other friable (easily crushed by finger pressure) products. Amphibole (Hornblende) Amphibole defines an important group of dark-colored rock-forming inosilicate minerals composed of double chain SiO4 tetrahedra linked at the vertices and generally containing ions of iron and/ or magnesium in their structures. ... Well-cleaved, dark, fine-grained chlorite-actinolite metadiabase intrudes light granitic gneiss Actinolite is an inosilicate mineral with the chemical formula Ca2(MgFe)5Si8O22(OH)2 // Mineralogy Actinolite is an intermediate member in a series between tremolite (Mg-rich) and ferro-actinolite (Fe-rich). ... Anthophyllite is an amphibole mineral: (Mg, Fe)7Si8O22(OH)2, magnesium iron inosilicate hydroxide. ... EPA redirects here. ...

Uses

Historic usage

Items made of asbestos were held in so great an esteem as to be of equal value with gold; none but emperors and kings had napkins made of it. Some antiquaries have believed that ancients made shrouds of asbestos, wherein they burnt the bodies of their kings, in order to entirely preserve their ashes, and prevent their being mixed with those of wood, or other combustible materials commonly used in building funeral piles.^[1]

Others assert that the ancients used asbestos to make perpetual wicks for sepulchral lamps. In more recent centuries, asbestos was indeed used for this purpose. Although asbestos causes skin to itch upon contact, ancient literature indicates that it was prescribed for diseases of the skin, and particularly for the itch. It is possible that they used the term asbestos for alumen plumosum, because the two terms have often been confused throughout history.^[1] The lid of a soapstone box to show the characteristic look of the stone. ...

Modern usage

Serpentine group

Chrysotile is the form of asbestos from the serpentine group that has been used commercially.

In the United States, chrysotile has been the most commonly used type of asbestos. Chrysotile is often present in a wide variety of materials, including but not limited to:

• sheetrock taping
• mud and texture coats
• vinyl floor tiles, sheeting, adhesives and ceiling tiles
• plasters and stuccos
• roofing tars, felts, and shingles
• "transite" panels, siding, countertops, and pipes
• acoustical ceilings
• fireproofing
• putty
• caulk
• gaskets
• brake pads and shoes
• clutch plates
• stage curtains
• fire blankets

Fireproofing refers to the act of making materials or structures more resistant to fire, or to those materials themselves. ... This article is about mechanical seals. ... A brake is a device for slowing or stopping the motion of a machine, and to keep it from starting to move. ... A clutch is a subcomponent of an engines transmission designed to allow engagement or disengagement of the engine to the gearbox or whatever apparatus is being driven. ...

Amphibole group

Amosite and crocidolite were used in many products until the early 1980s. The use of all types of asbestos in the amphibole group was banned in the mid-1980s. These products were mainly: The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ...

• Low density insulation board and ceiling tiles
• asbestos cement sheets and pipes for construction, casing for water and electrical/telecommunication services
• thermal and chemical insulation (i.e., fire rated doors, limpet spray, lagging and gaskets)

Asbestos-related diseases

Asbestosis and cancer

Asbestos particles lodged in the lungs.

Strong concerns about the health hazards associated with asbestos had been described many times over the years. As early as 1898 the Chief Inspector of Factories of the United Kingdom reported to Parliament in his Annual Report about the "evil effects of asbestos dust". He reported the "sharp, glass like nature of the particles" when allowed to remain in the air in any quantity, "have been found to be injurious, as might have been expected" (Report of the Select Committee 1994). In 1906 a British Parliamentary Commission confirmed the first cases of asbestos deaths in factories in Britain and recommended better ventilation and other safety measures. In 1918 a US insurance company produced a study showing premature deaths in the asbestos industry in the United States and in 1926 the Massachusetts Industrial Accidents Board processed the first successful compensation claim by a sick asbestos worker. Many American injuries from asbestos exposure came from shipbuilders working during World War II.[2] Image File history File links Asbestos_lungs. ... Image File history File links Asbestos_lungs. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Death is the cessation of physical life in a living organism, or the state of the organism after that event. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths {{{notes}}} World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a military conflict that took place between 1939 and 1945. ...

The fine asbestos fibres are easily inhaled, and can cause a number of respiratory complaints, including a potentially serious lung fibrosis called asbestosis. Exposure to asbestos has also been determined to cause a very serious form of cancer, mesothelioma, that occurs in the chest and abdominal cavities. This aggressive disease is improperly referred to as a lung cancer, as the malignant cells are derived from the mesothelium, a tissue found on the inner walls of the chest and abdominal cavities and on the outer surface of the lungs rather than in the lung itself. Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs. ... When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... The mesothelium is a membrane that forms the lining of several body cavities: the pleura (thoracal cavity), peritoneum (abdominal cavity) and pericardium (heart sac). ...

When inhaled, asbestos is carcinogenic (i.e. promotes cancer). In the United States alone, it is estimated that ten thousand people die each year of asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer. Asbestos has a synergistic effect with tobacco smoking in the causation of lung cancer. In pathology, a carcinogen is any substance or agent that promotes cancer. ... When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis. ... Lung cancer is a malignant tumour of the lungs. ... Various smoking equipment including different pipes, and cigars. ...

Other asbestos-related diseases

• asbestos warts – caused when the sharp fibres lodge in the skin and are overgrown causing benign callus-like growths.

• pleural plaques – discrete fibrous or partially calcified thickened area which can be seen on X-rays of individuals exposed to asbestos. They do not become malignant nor normally cause any lung impairment.

• diffuse pleural thickening – similar to above and can sometimes be associated with asbestosis. Usually no symptoms shown but if extensive can cause lung impairment.

Diagram of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... This article is about calluses and corns of human skin. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ...

Litigation

Main article: Asbestos and the law

In the United States, asbestos was one of the first hazardous air pollutants regulated under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act of 1970. One estimate says that, in the 20th century, more than 100 million Americans were exposed to asbestos in the workplace.[3] The mineral (asbestos) has now been banned in all of the leading European countries, and the year 2005 was the deadline for bans by countries in the European Union. ... Pollutants are substances which directly or indirectly damage us or the environment. ... The Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970 requires the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and enforce regulations to protect the general public from exposure to airborne contaminants that are known to be hazardous to human health. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Today, lawsuits claiming that asbestos caused plaintiffs' diseases form a gigantic part of the total amount of lawsuits pending in American courts, with a cost of tens of billions of dollars for expenses, settlements, and judgments to date. The original asbestos manufacturers were driven into Chapter 11 bankruptcy; plaintiffs have moved to suing corporations who had more peripheral connections to asbestos; the original plaintiffs have gone from those who had mesothelioma and other serious asbestos-related health problems to include those who merely were exposed to asbestos and wished to recover for their fear of future injury.[4] Nearly every American industry has had asbestos defendants, and over 70 corporations have filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the face of heavy liability claims.[5], [6] Since the late 1970s, approximately 6% of all filings in American courts each year were related to asbestos, leading to its perception as a sort of poster child of tort reform and the rampant lawsuit excesses of the United States. A RAND study found that less than half the money spent on asbestos litigation went to injured parties, as opposed to attorneys' fees and administrative costs. As of 2004, asbestos cases result in about 600 to 700 appellate opinions per year (that is, including both federal and state courts); this number does not include other cases that were not appealed, or were settled or otherwise abandoned before trial. Estimates of total American deaths attributable to asbestos range from 200,000 to 265,000 (according to the March 1991 Report of the Judicial Conference Ad Hoc Committee on Asbestos Litigation). The number of suits has increased, although the leading epidemiological study, cited by attorneys on both sides, suggests that deaths peaked in the 1990s. However, others contend that deaths from asbestosis and mesothelioma have not yet peaked.[7] Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code governs the process of reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, administration - see text) in the UK. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... The phrase poster child originally referred to a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture is used on posters to raise money for charitable purposes; she was the poster child for muscular dystrophy. However, the term is usually used metaphorically, meaning a shining example or model of its... The term tort reform is used by supporters of the controversial contention that reform of the American civil justice system to reduce litigations adverse effect on the economy is desirable to describe those proposed and enacted changes. ... RAND Headquarters The RAND Corporation is an American think tank first formed to offer research and analysis to the U.S. military. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"Asbestos litigation today is, for the most part, a massively fraudulent enterprise that can rightfully take its place among the pantheon of such great American swindles as the Yazoo land frauds, Credit Mobilier and Teapot Dome," said Lester Brickman, a professor at Cardozo Law School, in a recent speech on the phenomenon.[8] For example, Baron & Budd, P.C., a renowned Dallas plaintiff's firm, is alleged to have coached clients how to provide winning testimony against asbestos defendants.[9] In recent years, there have been many scandals over asbestos litigation because of the number of cases involving plaintiffs who had suffered no injury other than asymptomatic pleural plaques. An investigation into claims filed for alleged silicosis found that 65% of the plaintiffs claiming to be suffering from silicosis had previously recovered from asbestos defendants by alleging that they had asbestosis.[10], [11] Many attorneys, including Peter Angelos, have become rich because they established lucrative relationships with unions that steered potential asbestos plaintiffs to their law firms in exchange for questionable financial relationships with union executives.[12], [13] In the mass screenings that would take place, it is alleged that asbestos-related ailments were systematically overdiagnosed.[14] The Yazoo Land Scandal, Yazoo Fraud or Yazoo Land Fraud was a massive fraud perpetrated by several Georgia governors and the state legislature from 1795 to 1803 by selling large tracts of land to insiders at ridiculously low prices. ... The Crédit Mobilier of America scandal of 1872 involved the Union Pacific Railroad and the Crédit Mobilier of America construction company. ... Teapot Dome is the commonly used name applied to the scandal that rocked the administration of United States President Warren G. Harding. ... Lester Brickman is a professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a widely-regarded legal scholar. ... Since its founding in 1976 by Yeshiva University, the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law has gained a national reputation for a top-caliber faculty and an innovative academic program. ... Frederick Martin Baron (1947 - ) is a prominent asbestos attorney; founder of Baron & Budd, P.C., a Dallas law firm; a former president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; and a prominent fund-raiser for the Democratic Party and John Edwards. ... Nickname: Big D Motto: Official website: www. ... A plaintiff, also known as a claimant or complainant, is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an action) before a court. ... Silicosis (also known as Grinders disease) is a form of pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in forms of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. ... Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs. ... Peter Angelos (born July 4, 1929) is a trial lawyer and the current owner of the Baltimore Orioles, a baseball team in the American League East Division. ...

Because many companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in view of claims from plaintiffs (some of whom may have been uninjured), and because some of the earlier manufacturer bankruptcy proceedings underestimated future asbestos liability, many seriously injured workers received as little as ten cents on the dollar of the compensation due them.[15], [16]

Asbestos-related cases were a rare sight on the U.S. Supreme Court docket prior to 1980, but since then, the Court has dealt with asbestos-injury cases in 1986, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2002. The 1997 and 1999 cases both involved giant settlement class actions that were designed to stabilize the liability of the largest defendants. Both settlements were ultimately overturned by the Court because they resolved the rights of future claimants who, because they were currently unknown, could not be given the notice that due process requires. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... The word docket can mean: A brief summary of a document, also called an abstract A listing of items that an organization plans on discussing, also called an agenda The official schedule of proceedings in lawsuits pending in a court of law. ... In law, a class action is an equitable procedural device used in litigation for determining the rights of and remedies, if any, for large numbers of people whose cases involve common questions of law and fact. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Texas passed a reform bill requiring neutral medical screening in asbestos claims. Georgia passed a reform bill that requires an out-of-state plaintiff to provide "prima facie evidence of physical impairment" that shows "to a reasonable degree of certainty" that exposure to asbestos was "a substantial contributing factor" to the plaintiff's injuries. Plaintiffs' attorneys in the state complain that this would foreclose "98%" of the pending claims, and that the law is unconstitutional.[17] Official language(s) None. ...

Congress is considering legislation, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005, that would establish a $140 billion trust fund to supplant litigation as a means to compensate victims of asbestos. Trial lawyers protest that the trust fund would undercompensate injured workers, while some conservatives argue that the trust fund does not do enough to prevent fraud; would override state reforms in Texas, Ohio, and Georgia; and would be too "leaky" to prevent future litigation problems. Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ...

Asbestos liability is one of the largest issues facing the global insurance industry today, with the industry contending that many are suing because they have been exposed but have not as yet contracted asbestos-related lung diseases, which have latency periods of 10-40 years, and because lawyers spend millions each year advertising to promote such lawsuits.[18], [19], [20]

In mid-2004, a huge public outcry across Australia followed revelations at a New South Wales government-sanctioned inquiry into the company James Hardie's handling of its asbestos injury liabilities. Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... James Hardie Industries Ltd. ...

In Brazil, prohibition of extraction and use of asbestos is currently under consideration.

In Japan too, recently there has been a spurt of lawsuits involving actual or potential damage due to the use of asbestos in schools and public places, following public outcry over asbestos-related deaths.

Removal of asbestos

Structures containing asbestos are marked

Many buildings contain asbestos, which was used in spray-applied flame retardant, thermal system insulation, and in a variety of other materials. Typically, asbestos was "flocked" above false ceilings, inside technical ducts, and in many other small spaces where firefighters would have difficulty gaining access. Structural components like asbestos panels were also used. In residences, it was often a component of a type of flocked acoustic ceiling called "popcorn ceiling", until its production was banned in the U.S. in 1978. However, the ban allowed installers to use up remaining stocks, so houses built as late as 1986 could still have asbestos in their acoustic ceilings. The only way to be sure is to remove a sample and have it tested by a competent laboratory. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (540x720, 169 KB)Placing a sign warning of asbestos in the Panama Canal Zone. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (540x720, 169 KB)Placing a sign warning of asbestos in the Panama Canal Zone. ... Flame retardants are materials that inhibit or resist the spread of fire. ... Flocking is a type of texture applied to a surface. ...

Depending on how and where asbestos was applied, it might not pose any risk to most users of the building. If the fibers cannot dislodge themselves, they cannot be inhaled, and thus the risk is absent.

However, with certain ways of applying asbestos, particularly flocking, asbestos fibers may gradually drop off into the air. Furthermore, in all cases, asbestos poses special hazards to maintenance personnel who have to drill holes in walls for installation of cables or pipes.

Also, even if the workers are protected, such maintenance operation may release fibers into the air, which may be inhaled by other users later. As a consequence, interventions in areas where asbestos is present often have to follow stringent procedures.

The removal of asbestos from a building is quite difficult because of the above constraints. If removal is to be performed when users are still present in the building, it is usually necessary to relocate some of them temporarily. Typically, the part of the building from which asbestos is being removed has to be sealed off in order to prevent contamination of the other areas.

Even if the building is closed to normal users, it is necessary to seal it off from outside atmosphere so that no accessible air is contaminated. Accordingly, asbestos removal projects are long and costly. Examples of long asbestos removal enterprises include the Jussieu Campus (begun circa 1996 and still going on as of 2005) and the Tour Montparnasse (in 2005, projected duration was 3 years if the tower was emptied of its users, and 10 years if it was not). Main entrance Gridiron bars The Jussieu Campus (Campus Universitaire de Jussieu) is a higher education campus located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The tower is 209 metres (690 feet) high. ...

An asbestos-containing building that is to be torn down may have to be sealed, and to have its asbestos safely removed first before ordinary demolition can be performed. The asbestos removal may take longer and cost more than the actual tearing-down of the building.

Controversy

As with some other environmental prohibitions like DDT and CFCs, the movement to ban asbestos has many critics, some of whom claim either that the substance in question is not harmful, or that the ban does more harm than good [21]. DDT was the first modern pesticide and is arguably the most well known organic pesticide. ... Possible meanings: Certified Financial Consultant Chelsea Football Club Child and Family Canada Chlorofluorocarbon Combined Federal Campaign haloalkane This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page—a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

Among the arguments around asbestos prohibition are:

• The view that the shuttle Challenger exploded because the maker of O-ring putty was pressured by the EPA into ceasing production of its more temperature-resistant, asbestos-laden putty, prompting replacement with an inferior putty, which had continual problems of a sort which could have caused the O-ring leak and subsequent explosion.

• The "Amphibole Hypothesis" states that Chrysotile asbestos is not as harmful as asbestos from the amphibole group. Several studies have been conducted which support this conclusion. Criticisms have been raised about the methodology used in these studies. Several other studies have been conducted which contradict the "Amphibole Hypothesis" [22].

• Some countries, notably Canada, still use Chrysotile asbestos [23]. Canada has a significant economic interest in the mining of Chrysotile.

• The question of why asbestos is also banned in circumstances where inhalation is nearly impossible, such as when it's being included in sealed areas already dangerous to human beings, instead of simply when it might be used as insulation in a ventilated area, or other similar cases which actually expose it to people against their will.

• Critics argue that where asbestos has been banned, its roles were taken by products which are often either inferior, or far more expensive. They argue that this has a negative impact on society as a whole, which (especially if the previous arguments are true in whole or part) may be greater than the benefit of its removal.

karl heinze ...

See also

• Eternit
• List of minerals
• Vermiculite
• Asbestine

Eternit is a brand of roofing and panelling material made of fibres and cement. ... Gem animals. ... Vermiculite is a natural mineral which expands with the application of heat. ... Asbestine is a mineral compound composed of nearly pure fibrous magnesium silicate. ...

References

1. ^{^} This article incorporates text from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain. [24]

Cyclopaedia; or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (folio, 2 vols. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External links

• [25]

Mineral links

• Parachrysotile (asbestos) at the webmineral.com Mineral Database
• Univ. of Minn.: Asbestos

Health

• Asbestos and Occupational Health in the World
• Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Asbestos Toxicity
• Health History Source: Article by the SafetyLine Institute - WorkSafe - Western Australian state government
• British Government Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
• An article on the health impact of asbestos from Liverpool's 'Nerve' magazine
• Samuel Turner, the history of the man who industrialized asbestos

Cleanup and the environment

• U.S. EPA Asbestos Home Page
• Asbestos in Schools
• Health and Safety - Asbestosis (TUC Resources, UK)
• White Gold Pioneers: Asbestos Mining — The origins of asbestos mining, illustrated with many early photographs