Environmental Toxicology of Asbestos - Case Study Example

Environmental Toxicology of Asbestos al Affiliation Environmental Toxicology of Asbestos The issue of environmental conservation, care, protection and restoration has been a matter of concern for several decades. This follows that the environment provides the space for every activity under the sun. Therefore, the issue of environmental destruction through whatever form, should be seriously curbed. Environmental degradation or destruction can occur from many sources. However, these sources may be grouped in two main categories. These categories include the point sources as well as the non point sources. Some of the point sources of environmental degradation may include human interferences whereas non-point sources may include the natural sources of degradation. Toxicology of elements that occur naturally may fall under the point sources of environmental degradation with reference to human indulgence with such minerals (Oury, Roggli and Sporn, 2004). One of such mineral elements that may cause environmental toxicology includes the Asbestos. Therefore, this paper is going to explore the influence of asbestos in the environment, detailing its toxicology to the environment, as well as the effects it has on the lives of both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Asbestos is one of the naturally occurring mineral elements found on earth. It s a fibrous mineral that is mostly used by manufacturing industries that major on constriction activities. Asbestos is composed of six naturally occurring silicate minerals that have wide range of commercial applications (Oury, Roggli and Sporn, 2004). Asbestos can be found both in air and on land. The continued inhalation of Asbestos is harmful to the health of individuals in several ways. It can cause irritation of the inner tissue linings of human beings. In addition, increased inhalation of Asbestos can cause severe illnesses that comprise of lung cancer as well as mesothelioma. Moreover, other diseases related to Asbestos inhalation may include asbestosis, which borrows much similarity from pneumoconiosis disease. Asbestos is a bivalent mineral element. Therefore, it means that it has a valence state of two. It has a formula mass of 277.11 grams with amorphous, granular and massive crystals (Oury, Roggli and Sporn, 2004). The colors of asbestos range from green, red and yellow. However, some are blue in color. Asbestos is non-fluorescent with white streak and silky luster. It is of critical significance to acknowledge the fact that there occur six types of asbestos. These include the chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite and antophyllite. In addition, tremolite as well as actinolite also forms other types of Asbestos (Oury, Roggli and Sporn, 2004). It is of crucial importance to highlight that Asbestos has a variety of uses. Manufacturing and construction industries have majorly utilized asbestos in various ways. Asbestos and its products are used as roofing materials. Other than roofing materials, asbestos have also been widely used for electrical insulation for hotplate wiring (Oury, Roggli and Sporn, 2004). This follows the fact that asbestos is resistant to fire and heat. In addition, asbestos has been widely used in electrical insulation following the fact that it is quite resistant to electrical as well as chemical damage. Asbestos has also been widely used in manufacturing industries dealing with textured paints (Miyamoto, Morinaga and Mori, 2011). As such, the mining as well as industrial processes related to the use of asbestos has created employment to several individuals. However, it is prudent to note that irrespective of the goods that emanate from indulgence with asbestos, several health risks have been noted, some even leading to deaths. Asbestos has also been massively used for fencing activities. In addition, asbestos has been used as a backing material on several houses, acting as components of floor tiles as well as vinyl floorings. Asbestos has also been widely used in several materials involving gaskets, chemical filters as well as brake linings. In construction industry, asbestos and its products have been widely used in reinforcement of concrete. Therefore, it is prudent to acknowledge the fact that asbestos has a variety of uses. It is of crucial significance to note that asbestos and its components have been used as building materials since the year 1987. The use of such materials involving asbestos is harmful to the health of individuals. This may follow interference of disturbance of such materials consisting of asbestos. However, if such materials are un-interfered with, their harmful influence may be relatively felt (Miyamoto, Morinaga and Mori, 2011). Several guidelines govern the handling of asbestos materials, influence with aquatic bodies as well as terrestrial systems. These guidelines touch on disposal, shipping as well as transportation of the asbestos materials. In addition, other guidelines regard effective training of personnel on handing of such asbestos materials during activities involving renovation and demolition of buildings (Miyamoto, Morinaga and Mori, 2011). The people should be well trained on the safe use of waste asbestos. In addition, much training should focus on the shipping and storage of the asbestos. The containers for transportation should be manufactured in a standard manner. Anybody who wishes to work with asbestos must get a proper license authorizing his activities. This will help minimize the aquatic pollution with the asbestos. In addition, the asbestos materials should be properly stored. Such materials should be dumped in authorized landfills. This helps in protecting the environment as well as the soil. No asbestos material should be dumped in any water body. This prevents entry of such asbestos materials into water bodies. Thus, it prevents acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms. It is critical to note that asbestos may find its pathway in to the lives of human beings in various ways. One f the ways may be through exposure to cement and cement products that have asbestos. This may be quite common in places including building sites whereby activities involving direct contact with such cement materials may be involved (Miyamoto, Morinaga and Mori, 2011). This contributes to the exposure of the fibers of asbestos contained in the cement. When such fibers of asbestos are inhaled, they bring several health complications to the health of the individuals engaged. These may involve acute heart problems, lung cancers as well as pleural plaques (Miyamoto, Morinaga and Mori, 2011). Cement-processing industries may also form key sites where an individual may get in direct contact with the fibers of asbestos. They can inhale such fibers of asbestos, thereby allowing the element an entry into the body. This is tied to several health related complications. Other than industrial processes, asbestos can also have its pathway into the life of individuals through renovation as well as demolition activities (Miyamoto, Morinaga and Mori, 2011). These activities involve interference or disturbance to the fibers of asbestos. As such, the fibers of asbestos become loose, making them easy to inhale by the individuals. Upon inhalation of such fibers, the asbestos then affects the life of the individual in several perspectives. Human beings may also get exposed to asbestos materials in their lives through the use of water contaminated with asbestos for drinking and cooking purposes. Apart from human beings, asbestos can also find its way into the lives of the aquatic dwelling organisms. This can happen through several pathways. Improper disposal of materials containing asbestos into any water body forms part of the ways in which asbestos can enter the water bodies. Again, the suspended airborne asbestos fibers can also be washed into water bodies by rain. This permits the entry of asbestos compounds in to the water body. The release of asbestos fibers into such water bodies is crucial since it may affect the lives of aquatic organisms in several perspectives (Miyamoto, Morinaga and Mori, 2011). The aquatic organisms may inhale the asbestos fibers thereby developing several health complications following the influence of asbestos. Several complications involving gill related problems may develop in such aquatic species involving fishes. This may lead to massive deaths of such aquatic organisms. The case study on the epidemiology of asbestos-related diseases This case study was conducted by Jacek Niklinski, Wieslawa Niklinska, Elzbieta Chyczewska, an many other participants. It was carried out in Amsterdam, Netherlands in August 2004. From the case study, asbestos was discovered as a potential health problem for any decades. The case study findings detailed that both the blue and white asbestos, crocidolite and chrysotile respectively, were very much hazardous. The workers who were employed at the construction facilities, as well as, asbestos-cement workers were highly susceptible to asbestos related risks (Oury, Roggli and Sporn, 2004). The release of asbestos related compounds in the environment also proved risky to the lives of other wildlife, including birds. The effects of asbestos were also discovered in aquatic dwelling species including the fish that were sampled in the study. This study found out that the diagnosis of the mesothelioma disease may be difficult. However, using biological markers in detecting such diseases was quite useful since it enabled faster diagnosis of the diseases related to the asbestos. Table 1: Summary of findings from the case study involving effects of Asbestos to human health Case Study Findings: The epidemiology of asbestos-related diseases-Lung Cancer(Amsterdam, Netherlands), August 2004, by Jacek, Wieslawa, Elzbieta, et al. Asbestos is a potential health hazard White asbestos and blue asbestos are extremely hazardous Workers at extraction facilities mostly affected Asbestos-cement workers also at risk of asbestos danger Environmental exposure to asbestos emanate from dwelling in areas with natural outcrops of asbestos Diseases related to asbestos Asbestos causes mesothelioma disease amongst others Mesothelioma is not easy to diagnose. However, the use of tissue polypeptide antigen is important in early detection. Polypeptide antigen is one of the biological markers used in early detection of mesothelioma disease Asbestos affects the aquatic organisms, wildlife as well as human beings In summary, asbestos is one of the naturally occurring mineral elements that have a wide range of uses. Asbestos can be used as roofing materials, floor tiles as well as electric insulators. The exposure to asbestos fibers is too harmful to the lives of human beings, wildlife as well as aquatic organisms. The exposure to asbestos can cause several diseases including lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis to human beings. Therefore, proper handling of asbestos and its products is of crucial importance. The waste asbestos should be properly stored. In addition, disposal of asbestos wastes should follow strict international standards. The containers for shipment of asbestos should be properly handled and properly manufactured. People should also be trained on how to handle asbestos, its products as well as containers for shipment. References Miyamoto, K., Morinaga, K., & Mori, H. (2011). Asbestos disaster: Lessons from Japans experience. Tokyo: Springer. Oury, T. D., Roggli, V. L., & Sporn, T. A. (2004). Pathology of asbestos-associated diseases. New York (N.Y.: Springer Verl. Read More