The Role of Asbestos as an Agent of Air Pollution - Essay Example

Running head: AIR POLLUTION of essay’s assignment is due This paper will discuss the role of asbestos as an agent of air pollution, the health effects of asbestos, the sources of asbestos, management of asbestos, size of asbestos particles, risk assessment, standards and global problems of asbestos. The significance of asbestos in polluting the air has been discussed. The health problems that exposure to asbestos can cause will be given in detail. Places where asbestos can be found as well as manufactured products that contain asbestos will be given. The importance and processes of managing asbestos will be discussed. The size of asbestos particles in relation to their risk to humans has been discussed. The methods used in assessing the risk of asbestos will be given. The global standards and problems associated with asbestos will be discussed. Asbestos as an agent of air pollution Most asbestos fibers that are respired are invisible to the unaided human eye since their size is just 3 to 20 micrometers long and can be as thin as 0.01 micrometers (Benarde, 1990, pp. 187-203). The human hair varies in size from 17 to 181 micrometer in width. Asbestos fibers eventually form after minerals initially cooled and crystallized, were shaped by the polymeric molecules that lined up parallel to each other and therefore formed oriented crystal lattices. The crystals formed have three cleavage planes, exactly like other gemstones and minerals have. But in the case of asbestos crystals, there are two cleavage planes that are to a great extent, much weaker than the third direction. When enough force is applied, they are inclined to break along their weakest directions and this result in a linear fragmentation pattern and consequently a fibrous form. This process of fracturing can keep happening and one larger asbestos fiber can eventually become the cause of hundreds of much smaller and thinner fibers. As the asbestos fibers get lighter and smaller, they more easily turn out to be airborne and exposure to the human respiratory can result. The asbestos fibers will finally settle but may be re-suspended movement such as air currents. The friability of a product that contains asbestos is a term used to say that the product is so weak in structure and soft that it can be shattered with simple finger crushing pressure. The ease of damage of friable materials makes them to have the most initial concern. The conditions or forces of usage that come into close contact with a large amount of non-friable materials that contain asbestos are considerably higher than finger pressure. Health effects of asbestos Asbestos fibers can have severe effects on one’s health if inhaled. At the moment, there is no known harmless exposure, therefore if one is exposed for longer, the greater the risk that that person will develop an asbestos-related disease. The duration of time between the first exposure and the first symptoms of disease can even be 30 years. Inhaling asbestos fibers can result in serious illnesses such as mesothelioma, malignant lung cancer and asbestosis. Long term contact with asbestos is expected to cause health problems, since low levels of asbestos are present in the ambient air, which in itself, it does not cause health problems. The ancient Greeks are the ones who named asbestos. These ancient Greeks already realized that the material had certain hazards. Strabo, the Greek geographer and Pliny the Elder, the Roman naturalist, both noted that asbestos damaged the lungs of the slaves who wove the material into cloth. In the early 1900s, researchers started to notice a significant number of lung problems and early deaths in town where asbestos was mined. The first documented death associated with asbestos was in 1906. Asbestosis was first diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 1924. In the 1930s, the United Kingdom made asbestosis an excusable work related disease and regulated ventilation, approximately ten years earlier than the United States. In 1931, the term Mesothelioma was first applied in medical literature. The association of Mesothelioma with asbestos was first discovered sometime in the 1940s (Roggli, Oury & Sporn, 2004, pp. 312-354) Crocidolite and amosite are the most dangerous of the asbestos minerals as they have long persistence in the lungs of people who have been exposed. Chrysotile asbestos is often contaminated by Tremolite, thus forming an additional hazard. Chrysotile asbestos has produced tumors in animals, just like all other forms of asbestos. People who work with and are therefore exposed to chrysotile, family members of the exposed workers and residents who lived close to asbestos mines and factories have been observed to have Mesotheliomas. Asbestos exposure turns into a health problem when asbestos fibers in high concentrations are inhaled over a long time period. Those people who are exposed on a daily basis in a job where they work directly with asbestos are the people who become ill from inhaling asbestos more often. A persons risk of disease increases as that persons exposure to fibers increases. Increase in exposure results from either being exposed for a longer time or being exposed to higher concentrations of asbestos fibers. It is very unlikely that disease will result from a short period of exposure to lower levels or single, high-level exposure. Asbestos exposure combined smoking with may increase the health risk severely. Other diseases that are caused by exposure to asbestos include asbestos warts, pleural plaques and diffuse pleural thickening. Asbestos warts is caused when the sharp asbestos fibers stick themselves in the skin and become overgrown hence causing benign callus-like growths. Pleural plaques are partially calcified thickened area or discrete fibrous which can be seen on the X-rays of individuals who have been exposed to asbestos (Craighead, 2008, pp. 362-395). Even though pleural plaques are in themselves just asymptomatic, some patients have seen the plaques developing into pleural thickening. Diffuse pleural thickening is similar to pleural plaques and can at times be associated with asbestosis. Typically no symptoms are shown but if the person has extensive exposure, it can cause lung impairment. Sources of asbestos One source of asbestos is asbestos paper tape or blankets that are often used around steam pipes, furnace ducts and boilers. Asbestos is also found in resilient floor tiles. This is one application that astonishes many homeowners. The adhesive or backing for many rubber, asphalt and vinyl floor tiles may contain asbestos fibers. Chipping the tiles off or even sanding these floors may release these fibers. Another source of asbestos is artificial embers or ashes. The embers in gas-fired stoves and fireplaces contain asbestos. Another source of asbestos is soundproofing material. Sprayed soundproofing material on ceilings and walls may release asbestos fibers when scraped, drilled or sanded. Another source of asbestos is asbestos-cement siding tiles or roof. Those brittle, hard tiles that were often used as siding on homes in the 1940s to 1950s contain asbestos (Oberta, 2005, pp. 37-62). One does not need to worry about releasing fibers unless those tiles were visible or were drilled into. It is safe to put new siding over these old tiles. One product that contains asbestos is asbestos pipe covering. Pipe covering is generally white to gray in color and comes in half-moon sections and is placed around pipes. Asbestos block is a product that is similar in appearance to asbestos pipe covering but has a rectangular shape. It is utilized for insulation around semi-flat surfaces such as boilers and tanks. Just like pipe covering, asbestos block is either white or grayish in color. Asbestos cement is a dry, white-grayish, powdery material that has to be mixed with water before it is applied. The major function of asbestos cement is to fill in gaps when using pipe covering and block on equipment such as boilers and tanks. Asbestos packing is yet another product that varies in appearance from graphite black to grayish-white and comes in a braided rope form. Depending upon its use, asbestos packing can have a more dry consistency or be oily in nature. Asbestos packing is utilized to fill gaps in equipment such as pump connections where high heat could be generated. The packing is needed to seal flanges or joints. Asbestos fire brick is a product that can range in color from darker colors to gray to white. It comes in a brick form and is utilized in or around furnaces and boilers. It is generally cemented in together with asbestos furnace cement. Asbestos furnace cement is a product that either comes in pre-mixed wet or a dry form. It is generally utilized around boilers or furnaces to seal spaces or hold bricks together. Asbestos flexible duct connectors is a product that is used generally by sheet metal workers in making connections for ducts, that will be carrying air at high temperature. Management of asbestos Asbestos must be appropriately managed to put a stop to people dying from asbestos diseases in the upcoming years. Workers who perform building repair and maintenance are especially at risk. Every year a thousand or so people who worked in such jobs die from past exposures to asbestos fibers. These workers are still in danger. In spite of everything, 500000 commercial buildings today still contain asbestos (Cherry, 1988, pp. 142-173). Those responsible for managing the repair and maintenance of buildings must manage any asbestos in it. It is a legal duty to manage asbestos, over and above protecting people from exposure to asbestos fibers. Management of asbestos can be done by following eight steps that have been discussed. The first step is realizing that if someone owns a building or is responsible for repair and maintenance activities for non­ domestic buildings, either through a tenancy agreement or contract, that person is a duty holder who has a responsibility to manage asbestos. On the other hand, if a person is renting, that person should ask the person in charge where the asbestos is and should ask to be shown the asbestos register or record. The second step involves knowing when the building was built. If the building was built before 2000, an assumption should be made that asbestos is present. If the building was built after 2000, no action needs to be taken. The third step is using information about asbestos that is available in the building as a starting point. The fourth step is walking around the building and identifying all materials that might contain asbestos. Either a presumption that asbestos is present or a survey and sampling should be done to confirm the presence of asbestos. The fifth step is keeping a written record or register of where the asbestos was detected and the responsibilities and roles regarding managing asbestos. The record should be accessible especially if it will be used to tell workers about where the asbestos is located. The sixth step is acting on the findings by drawing a priority action list. The seventh step is telling other people where the asbestos is. Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) should be labeled and those working on or near the asbestos should be told before they start working. Those people who may work on asbestos should be trained on how to use safe working methods. The eighth and final step is that the records should be kept up to date. The plan should be updated at least once a year and materials should be checked regularly to see whether or not they have been disturbed, damaged or have deteriorated in any way. Size of asbestos particles Asbestos particles are microscopic in size because the majority of the dust particles have a diameter of less than one micrometer. A micrometer is equal to one millionth of one meter. One meter is a little over three feet in length. Dividing that measurement into one million piece makes the size of the asbestos particle (Benarde, 1990, pp. 46-69). The small size of the asbestos particles is what causes asbestos to be so hazardous because many people have breathed it in without being aware, which causes serious hazard to health. Risk assessment There are three main risks from exposure to asbestos: mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. There are five steps used in assessing the risk posed by exposure to asbestos. The first step is determining the presence of asbestos. Microscopic identification is the usual method of distinguishing asbestos from other fibers. The second step is identifying the type of the asbestos fiber. Chrysotile is less hazardous when compared to crocidolite and amosite; therefore it is vital for one to know the actual type of fiber being dealt with. The third step is determining the quantity of asbestos in the source. Dispersion staining method and Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and can give an approximation of the quantity of asbestos present in the sample. The fourth step is determining the procedures that will be used for handling the asbestos. Processes that minimize airborne fiber should be using as they reduce the risk. The fifth and final step is having respiratory protection in place. The safe handling of the asbestos depends on control processes. Methods that stop dust from escaping are the most important means of control. Respiratory protection is supplementary to only when dust control procedures are unable to control the release of the fiber (Dodson & Hammar, 2005, 256-283). Standards 60 countries in the world have banned the use of asbestos, completely or in part. In Australia, a countrywide ban on using and importing all forms of asbestos started in 2003. To introduce best-practice safety and health measures for asbestos removal, control management and to promote a dependable method to controlling the exposure to workplace asbestos, the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) reaffirming the ban. In Canada, the Province of Quebec is the only place where asbestos mines are still in operation. In 1997, France banned the use of asbestos. In 2000, the World Trade Organization (WTO) upheld this ban. In Italy, the utilization of asbestos was fully banned in 1992. A comprehensive plan for asbestos decontamination in housing and industry was set up. The Japanese government has been held responsible for asbestos-related diseases because the ban only came in 2004. In the United Kingdom, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has promoted thorough controls on handling asbestos, based on reports that link exposure to asbestos fibers with thousands of annual deaths from asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma. In the United States, no general ban on the use of asbestos has been given by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Castleman, & Berger, 2005, pp. 745-792) Global problems of asbestos A fatal epidemic of diseases related to asbestos that emerge in the poorer countries in the world will dwarf the damage of an earlier epidemic in the Western Europe and United States. As the demand for asbestos in the past 25 years has dropped in the industrialized world, it has gone up in formerly communist countries and many developing nations (Frank, 1993, pp. 165-177). The use of asbestos in these countries is haphazard deadly and largely unregulated. Some towns in Eastern Europe are so polluted with asbestos that if they were in the United States they would be evacuated by the federal government and would meet the requirements for Superfund environmental cleanup sites. Blacks under apartheid in South Africa were sent into asbestos mines uneducated to the dangers and unprotected from the dust. These workers and their families are now dying of asbestos-related cancer. Prisoners in China were made to work in asbestos mines for what the Chinese authorities referred to as ‘re-education through labor’. Nowadays the full degree of this second epidemic is becoming apparent. Over the next 30 years, the number of deaths is expected to rise to at least 1 million (Frank, 1993, pp.165-177). Because of the lag between exposure and disease the toll is expected to grow steadily each year. Just like in the industrialized world, the victims are not the consumers who use finished products that produce no dust but the workers who manufacture asbestos products and mine asbestos. Conclusion This paper has discussed the role of asbestos as an agent of air pollution, the health effects of asbestos, the sources of asbestos, the management of asbestos, the size of asbestos particles, risk assessment, standards and global problems of asbestos. The significance of asbestos in polluting the air has been discussed. The health problems that exposure to asbestos can cause have been given in detail. Places where asbestos can be found as well as manufactured products that contain asbestos have been given. The importance and processes of managing asbestos have been discussed. The size of asbestos particles in relation to their risk to humans has been discussed. The methods used in assessing the risk of asbestos have been given. The global standards and problems associated with asbestos have been discussed. References Benarde, M. (1990). Asbestos: The hazardous fiber. CRC Press. 490 pages Castleman, B. & Berger, S. (2005). Asbestos: Medical and legal aspects. 5th ed. Aspen Publishers. Cherry, K. (1988). Asbestos: Engineering, management and control. Lewis. Craighead, J. (2008). Asbestos and its diseases. Oxford University Press. 403 pages Dodson, R. & Hammar, S. (2005). Asbestos: Risk assessment, epidemiology, and health effects. Taylor & Francis. Frank, A. (1993). Global problems from exposure to asbestos. Environmental Health Perspectives, 101(3), 165-177. Oberta, A. (2005). Asbestos control: Surveys, removal, and management. 2nd ed. ASTM International. 105 pages Roggli, V., Oury, T. & Sporn, T. (2004). Pathology of asbestos-associated diseases. 2nd ed. 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