What is it?
Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals (silicate) composed of thin, needle-like Fibers those are resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion. These qualities make the mineral useful, but they also make asbestos exposure highly toxic.
Six types of Asbestos are:These six types of asbestos that fall into two categories: Amphibole and serpentine;
- Amphibole Asbestos: Amphibole asbestos fibers have a straight, jagged shape. There are five recognized types:
- Crocidolite
- Amosite
- Anthophyllite
- Tremolite
- Actinolite
- Serpentine: Serpentine asbestos fibers are curly. There is only one kind: Chrysotile, which is also known as “white asbestos.”
- Chrysotile
What are the health effects of it?
- Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals composed of thin, needle-like fibers
- When someone inhales or ingests asbestos dust, some of the mineral fibers can become forever trapped in their body.
- Over a period of time, trapped asbestos fibers can cause inflammation, scarring and eventually genetic damage.
- A rare and aggressive cancer called mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos
- The mineral also causes asbestos-related lung cancer, ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer.
