[Stoves] SPAM: Re: Chart of breathable particles

[Frank Shields]

Dear AJH,

The size was based from what they were finding in lungs that were causing
problems. The shape was determined as a five to one ratio (if I remember
correctly) because when looking at these small fibers under a microscope you
would not determine if they were asbestos or not. You were just counting all
fibers that had a crystal structure and the correct size and ratio. 

Of the six types only one was rope like and able to be woven into fabric and
that was chrysolite. All the others looked like broom bristles. Hole a bunch
in your hand and the two ends look like spikes of stiff material. Look under
a microscope at asbestos fibers and as you go to higher higher power all the
fibers had spikes sticking out at the ends. And along the sides are spikes.
Viscous looking. They do not bend and tend to break off. Cover them in tar
and when the tar (roofing, linoleum) is cut there will be always be fibers
inside that are not coated. Always a problem.       

Frank






Frank Shields
Control Laboratories, Inc.
42 Hangar Way
Watsonville, CA  95076
(831) 724-5422 tel
(831) 724-3188 fax
frank at compostlab.com
www.compostlab.com
 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:stoves-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of
ajheggie at gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2011 11:42 PM
To: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves
Subject: Re: [Stoves] SPAM: Re: Chart of breathable particles

On Friday 20 May 2011 00:42:13 Erin Rasmussen wrote:
> Shapes are particularly interesting to me, but that's a different
> chart. It seems to me that it's partially the shape, sharpness and
> breaking of the particles that seems to be the worst thing about
> asbestos - or am I wrong?

I'd be interested to know more about this, I was told that one of the 
things that made asbestos fibres difficult for the immune system to 
remove was that their aspect ratio was too large for a white blood  
corpuscle to engulf them so they might be expelled from the body.

I don't know why the different types, brown, blue and white (chrysolite?) 
have differing effects. I don't think any form of asbestos is allowed in 
products in UK now whereas in the past it was used in plaster, linoleum, 
concrete sheets, high temperature insulation and brake linings.

How does it differ from rockwool and cerablanket which are man made silica 
based fibres?

AJH


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