Скачать или смотреть Chrysotile -The Most Common Form of Asbestos Used in the United States

Asbestos is the name for a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals that can be found in some rocks and soil. Because of the fiber strength and heat resistance of asbestos, it was used extensively for over 100 years in a variety of building construction materials and a wide range of manufactured goods. Even today, it can still be found in some limited products.

In the United States, the term “asbestos-containing material” means any material which contains more than 1% asbestos by weight. Regulatory agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognize six asbestos and asbestiform minerals. They include:
• Actinolite
• Amosite
• Anthophyllite
• Crocidolite
• Tremolite
• Chrysotile

According to OSHA, approximately 95% of the asbestos encountered by abatement workers in the United States is chrysotile. Also known as white asbestos or serpentine asbestos, chrysotile was extensively mined in the past from a number of locations across the country.

While some consider exposure to other forms of asbestos to be more dangerous than chrysotile, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have classified chrysotile, along with the other forms of asbestos, as a known human carcinogen.

Inhalation and ingestion are the primary routes of asbestos exposure. Three of the major health effects associated with exposure include:
1. Lung cancer
2. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining of the lung, chest and the abdomen and heart
3. Asbestosis, a serious progressive, long-term, non-cancer disease of the lungs

To protect the general public and workers from exposure to asbestos, there are standards for asbestos in drinking water, schools, some consumer products and occupational exposures.

These are just a few things to know about chrysotile, asbestos and potential exposure concerns. To learn more about this or other indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.

Clark Seif Clark http://www.csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. http://www.emsl.com
LA Testing http://www.latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental http://www.zimmetry.com