Asbestos refers to six minerals that accumulate into fiber bundles made of crystals, each containing oxygen and silicon atoms. Historically, several industries have created products with asbestos fibers, since they are resistant to fire and electricity. Appliance companies used to create water boilers with asbestos and was once used in the construction industry to fireproof homes. However, several countries have made the industrial use of asbestos illegal due to health risks. There are several ways asbestos can damage your health.
Workplace Risks
Even though companies cannot make products with asbestos, human contact with the material is still a problem. Workers can inhale the asbestos fibers, which can be released in the air from abrasion. Floor tiles and cement can release asbestos. The chemical compound is a natural pollutant that can be released in factories and harbors, where workers stand up and move objects for long durations.
Damage to Health
The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis, a condition affecting the lungs that become scarred and inflamed with fibrous tissue. Other conditions can arise, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, a type of cancer affecting the abdominal cavity. The risk of lung cancer rises when asbestos is inhaled, although the cancer tends to develop within twenty years from initial exposure. Other health risks of asbestos include the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Asbestos Abasement
The dangers of inhaling asbestos requires several industries to contact an asbestos abatement Boston MA service. Abatement services are able to remove layers of asbestos, removing materials such as floor tiles and roofing material. These services also repair and rebuild products that accumulated crystal fibers. Workers use personal protection gear and decontaminate a specific area, properly disposing of asbestos waste material.
Asebestos is a health risk that causes a variety of serious illnesses. Social awareness of asbestos as a carcinogen is recent and some older industrial equipment were made with the material, increasing risk to workers in factories and shipping facilities. Solving the problem by staying away from contaminated areas can reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases.