Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral widely used in many building materials for its heat and fire-resistant properties. While asbestos is no longer used, it can still be found in older building materials like flooring, insulation, roofing shingles, and appliances manufactured before 1985. When asbestos fibers are released into the air and inhaled, this can cause a range of serious health complications, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Six types of asbestos, including chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite, are all classified as cancer-causing.
There are six different types of asbestos, which are categorized into common and rare types based on how often they are used in commercial products. Common asbestos includes crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile; rare asbestos includes anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. The six types of asbestos fall under two mineral families, including amphibole and serpentine asbestos. Five of the six types of asbestos are considered amphibole asbestos, which has needle-shaped fibers. Chrysotile is the only form of asbestos part of the serpentine family with curly fibers. The following are the five types of amphibole asbestos:
- Actinolite: Asbestos has fibrous, elongated crystals ranging from green to gray. It can also have a silky or shiny appearance. The needle-like fibers can penetrate deeper into the lung tissue, increasing the carcinogenic effects. Products that commonly contain actinolite asbestos include:
– Acoustic ceiling textures
– Cement sheets
– Drywall
– Furnace linings
– Paint
– Plasters
– Roofing
– Spray-on fireproofing materials
– Steam pipes
– Textured paints
– Tiles
– Wall-joint compounds - Anthophyllite: This is one of the rarest types of asbestos. It has long, thin, brittle fibers that can break into small, microscopic pieces. This type of asbestos is usually gray, green, or brown and can be found in deposits of talc and vermiculite. Products that contain anthophyllite asbestos include the following:
– Cement
– Insulation
– Roofing
– Rubber
– Talc products
– Vermiculite products - Amosite: According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), amosite, or brown asbestos, is the second most commonly used form of asbestos in the United States. In addition, the American Cancer Society found that exposure to amosite has a higher risk of cancer compared to common chrysotile asbestos. Amosite asbestos has long, straight, brittle fibers with a distinctive rod-like shape. The following are examples of products that contain amosite asbestos:
– Cement sheets
– Electrical and chemical insulation
– Fire protection
– Floor and ceiling tiles
– Gaskets
– Insulating blankets
– Insulation
– Pipes
– Roofing products
– Vinyl tiles - Crocidolite: This type of asbestos has extremely thin fibers, which allows them to become lodged in lung tissue more easily. As a result, crocidolite causes more deaths than any other type of asbestos. It is light to deep blue in color and has characteristic fine, fibrous crystals. Products that often contain crocidolite asbestos include:
– Acid storage battery casings
– Ceiling tiles
– Cement sheets
– Electrical insulation
– Fireproofing
– Gaskets
– Kent Micronite cigarette filters
– Marine Insulation
– Spray-on insulation - Tremolite: This can range in color from white, gray, and green, depending on the impurities in the mineral composition. Manufacturers rarely use tremolite intentionally in their products, although it is found in the following products:
– Gardening soils
– Fireproofing clothing
– Industrial turbine blankets
– Insulation
– Paint
– Paper
– Plumbing
– Roofing
– Sealants
– Textiles - Chrysotile: This is the only type of asbestos from the serpentine family and represents over 95 percent of all asbestos used worldwide. Also referred to as white asbestos, it was used in most asbestos-containing materials manufactured during the 20th century. Exposure to chrysotile asbestos increases the risk of life-threatening illnesses like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Effective March 2024, the EPA announced a ban on chrysotile asbestos, which will roll out in phases over the next 12 years. Allowing companies the time to replace asbestos-containing materials. The following are examples of products that contain chrysotile asbestos:
- Adhesives
- Brake pads
- Cement
- Clutch facings
- Drywall
- Fireproofing
- Gaskets
- Insulation
- Roofing
- Textiles
- Vinyl tiles
Are All Types of Asbestos Dangerous?
Studies suggest that certain types of asbestos are more hazardous than others. However, all forms of asbestos can cause serious health conditions, including malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer, and other health complications. The most common asbestos-related lung diseases include asbestosis, which is caused by scarring; pleural disease, which is a non-cancerous disease that affects the tissue of the lining of the surface of the lung; and mesothelioma, which is a type of lung cancer that affects the mesothelium, or the layer of tissue that surrounds the lungs. Unfortunately, patients who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma often do not discover that disease until symptoms develop, at which time the disease has often progressed to a late stage. It can take 15 to 60 years for someone to develop serious health issues after being exposed to asbestos fibers for an extended period of time.
The Philadelphia Asbestos Attorneys at Shein Law Represent Clients Who Have Asbestos Illnesses
If you or a loved one was diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or any other type of asbestos-related illness, it is highly recommended that you contact the Philadelphia asbestos attorneys at Shein Law. We understand how devastating a diagnosis like this can be, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that your legal rights are protected. To schedule a confidential consultation, call us today at 877-743-4652 or contact us online. Our offices are located in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, New Jersey, where we serve clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.