Asbestos

Asbestos, or in Czech osinek, is a crystalline form of magnesium silicate (MgSiO3). It was formerly used extensively in fire partitions of various buildings (including residential). It is still used in the manufacture of fireproof firefighting suits.

Health damage
Asbestos consists of very fine fibrous crystals that look like cotton wool. These are released when working with asbestos in the form of aerosol. The most dangerous are fragments the size of 5 to 0.5 μm. Long-term inhalation of these crystals leads to so-called asbestosis, severe lung parenchymal impairment. Crystals the size of 1 to 0.5 μm reach the most peripheral parts of the lung. This leads to mechanical irritation and cell damage that reaches up to carcinogenic effect. The tumor that arises stems from pleural epithelia and is referred to as mesothelioma. Its occurrence with long-term (even several decades!) inhalation of asbestos fragments increases up to a thousand times!

Prevention
The best way to prevent asbestosis is to use appropriate respiratory equipment and full body protective suits. In recent decades, the use of asbestos has been discouraged, despite its good thermoresistant properties. Similar effects are attributed to fine wood dust.

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