Is Blue Asbestos More Dangerous?
Six minerals are defined as “asbestos” in two different classes. In Canada only the serpentine class has been mined. The serpentine class includes only the fibrous mineral chrysotile. It is more flexible and has a wider range of uses because of that quality. Chrysotile is white. It is argued by the Canadian industry and its supporters that chrysotile or “white asbestos” is less dangerous than the minerals in the other class of asbestos known as the amphibole class. With chrysotile many of the uses tend to result in the asbestos fibers being on the inside of building materials where there is less direct exposure to the fibers for possible inhalation. The danger is less in some situations but it is not accurate to simply say chrysotile is less deadly.
The amphibole class is made up of crystal forms and includes the minerals amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. The amphibole forms are usually blue or brown. There is an important distinction to be made between serpentine and amphibole asbestos due to differences in their chemical composition. Blue asbestos is sprayed on with many uses and as such blue asbestos in such use more brittle and more likely to break off into the air for inhalation. Brown asbestos tends to be used for fireproofing boards and wall and with such use tends to be painted over or covered which reduces the danger. It is often said that blue asbestos is the most dangerous and blue asbestos is no longer mined. Asbestos in all forms of asbestos (including chrysotile asbestos) are known to be human carcinogens.
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The first fire I ever went to was an asbestos plant (ironically) that buenrd down in Montreal many years ago. I was an auxiliary fire fighter at the time and was on the periphery but nobody was at all concerned about exposure. Not the guys on the front lines, not the police directing traffic and not the public watching.Yet, twenty years later it’s so dangerous that when we find some wrapped around old piping we have to have specialists come into the building in haz-mat gear, seal the area completely, remove it and bag it before sending it for specific disposal. The workers in their haz-mat gear even have to wash down completely after exposure.I’m with Greg on this one. This is mass hysteria at its best.I once went into a large commercial kitchen to do a fire inspection and found a very old asbestos fire blanket in a red container next to one of the stoves. I knew that if I had brought it to someones attention the kitchen would have been closed and all of the staff who had eaten there at any time would have been under duress due to possible exposure. I could see kitchen staff being given medical examinations, blood tests and then being monitored for possibly life.Lawsuits would be flying and managers would be dismissed. Even previous fire inspectors and worksite health and safety people would have been at risk of disciplinary action.Sounds far-fetched but this particular establishment was not your normal workplace.Instead of reporting it I had the maintenance guy with me take the container off the wall and he took it home to use as a welding blanket.Problem solved.In Niagara Falls we currently have a pile of bubble, the remains of a five storey building that buenrd down a couple of months ago, sitting on a lot that the building owner is desperate to clear and rebuild on but it won’t be cleared anytime soon because they have found asbestos. I pity the poor owner who will now be stuck with a huge clean-up bill.