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Asbestos Products, Exposure and Asbestos Cancer

By now, most people have heard of asbestos and know that it is detrimental to human health. But for those affected by mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos related health problems, a deeper understanding can help them realize the extent of the asbestos present in the environment. This can help those with mesothelioma or asbestosis realize where and when they may have been exposed to asbestos, as well as shed light on why asbestos is so dangerous.

About Asbestos

Asbestos is the name of a naturally occurring mineral present in the earth's crust. Just like most minerals, asbestos appears as a rock. Asbestos became useful in industry because its mineral structure is made up of fibers. It can be mined, broken down into these fibers, and mixed with many other substances to form products that are stronger and more useful than without asbestos fibers imbedded. Asbestos is relatively cheap to come by and very useful in products ranging from concrete pipes to heat and sound insulation. The versatility of asbestos is cause for its proliferation into literally thousands of products used in industry and residential environments.

There are three types of asbestos used in the United States: chrysotile asbestos, amosite asbestos, and crocidolite asbestos. They are categorized based on the shape and characteristics of the crystal that makes up asbestos. There are a total of six types of asbestos including those mentioned above, actinolite, anthophyllite, and tremolite. Asbestos varieties can be white, blue, brown, and green in color. The different forms of asbestos are divided into two categories: serpentine and amphibole group. The serpentine forms a layered structure and the amphibole asbestos has a chain-like structure. Of the three forms of asbestos used in the United States, chrysotile asbestos is the only one in the serpentine group. There has been some debate surrounding the issue of whether amphibole asbestos is more harmful than serpentine asbestos but nothing concrete has been established on this issue and the majority in medical circles seems to maintain that both amphibole and serpentine asbestos are carcinogenic.

Asbestos has a long list of qualities that make it an attractive additive to many products. Its easily separable fibers are resistant to heat, do not conduct electricity and are very strong, yet flexible. Most people mistakenly think that since asbestos is found in insulation, it is a good insulator, but asbestos isn't really a very effective insulator. But since asbestos is so strong and flexible, otherwise fragile forms of insulation were combined with asbestos to make them useful and durable. Unfortunately, it also made them deadly.

Asbestos fibers are fairly indestructible and since, like many minerals, they break down into smaller forms of the same shape when disturbed or crushed, , they become easily inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos fibers have a long, thin structure that maintain their shape even when microscopic in size. Sharp asbestos fibers get lodged in the mesothelium and are the cause for asbestos disease and asbestos cancer including asbestosis and mesothelioma.

If you would like to learn more about asbestos, its health effects, and your rights if you or a loved one has been injured by asbestos exposure, contact mesothelioma lawyer David A. Shaw today.

Asbestos Exposure

People are exposed to asbestos in a number of ways. The majority of people exposed to asbestos that develop asbestosis or mesothelioma work around asbestos fibers in the manufacture, installation or removal of asbestos containing materials. Products that were manufactured with asbestos (once they are in final form) like floor tiles and concrete and shingles, do not pose serious asbestos exposure risks because they typically do not release asbestos fibers into the air unless disturbed by being cut, chipped, crushed or removed. Installation and removal of asbestos containing materials often leads to asbestos exposure.

Since mesothelioma does not require very high levels of asbestos exposure to develop, relatively small amounts of asbestos exposure can be potentially dangerous. Despite mesothelioma being a rare disease, asbestos still remains common in our environment. Continued exposure will result in more new cases of mesothelioma.

Products that contain asbestos are not always obvious. It is important to have questionable substances checked before working with them. The list is long, but some of the common applications for asbestos fibers were in many high temperature/pressure applications like boiler cement, magnesia and calcium silicate pipe insulation, gaskets, and brake and clutch linings. Asbestos was also used in wallboard, siding, shingles, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, insulation, hair dryers, elevators, vinyl flooring, oven and barbeque mitts, and literally hundreds of other products.

If you have developed an asbestos disease or mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, certain asbestos manufacturers may be held liable for your suffering. David Shaw is an experienced mesothelioma lawyer with the background to help you face the asbestos industry with the confidence to get you the compensation you deserve. For more information on what you can do if you are an asbestos exposure victim, contact mesothelioma lawyer David A. Shaw today.

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