Monday, April 30, 2018

Useful Information Regarding Chicago Asbestos

By Jessica Cox


The name asbestos gives reference to one of the naturally occurring chemical substances regarded as minerals. Its composition includes soft and flexible fibres that when pulled offer a fluffy consistency. In spite of being flexible and soft, the fibres are resistant to electricity, heat, and damage caused by chemical corrosion. The mineral thus exists as a perfect insulator when in its purest form. Some manufacturers blended it with other materials to make cement, plastic, and paper among others commodities. This is what Chicago Asbestos services are all about.

The ability to resist corrosion and damage by electricity and heat together with the ability to make various materials stronger make this substance useful in many applications. In fact, it used to be used a lot in the construction industry too. Unfortunately, the same qualities that make asbestos important also make it very dangerous to human health. As such, its use has been banned in many countries of the world.

In the United States the use of this substance has not been banned since there is a lot of opposition from commercial interests. It is therefore legal to include asbestos in any commodity manufactured in the country. However, restrictions on the content of the substance in any product has been put at not more than 1 percent.

The regulation regarding the percentage of the mineral that can be used in products only came into effect a few years ago. That means that products and buildings that were constructed before the restrictions came into effect still contain huge amounts of the mineral. Other countries that still use the mineral in large amounts and for industrial as well as commercial and residential applications are India and China.

As noted earlier, this is a harmful product to human health. This product is believed to release fibers that are microscopic and are invisible to the naked eye. These fibers are hard to be detected since they cannot be smelled or tasted. When they get inhaled they settle in the body most preferably the lungs but the symptoms or effects take time to be noticed. It is therefore hard for a person to know if they have inhaled these fibers.

These fibres are immiscible and tend to settle down in the body and are thus hard to eject from the body system. Research indicates that over time, the fibres result into scarring and inflammations inside the body. The fibres are also known to ruin the genetic structure of cells in the body. They may lead to cancer or mutation in some cases.

Research has also found that diseases that are related to the inhalation of this mineral usually take a period of about 20 to 50 years for them to develop. As such, in the US, most diagnoses are as a result of exposure that occurred before restrictions regarding the use of the mineral were enforced. However, with the restrictions, cases are likely to drop significantly.

Asbestos is hazardous when consumed or inhaled in any amount. Even the smallest exposure is also known to cause various conditions. Nevertheless, the greatest threat is caused by exposure to high doses of the microscopic fibres. Another threat is posed by frequent exposure to small amounts. At the cellular level, any damage caused is non-reversible by any medical means.




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