Poultry Talk

Asbestos - A danger to Health?

What is Asbestos? The very word is guaranteed to provoke a reaction from the man in the street. That reaction is usually one of fear and loathing, the former due to historical deaths caused by this material and the latter out of criminal neglect of the known dangers by big business.

When the Labour Government finally banned all forms of Asbestos in November 1999, you would have thought that they were on a pretty solid political wicket. They seemed to be defending the nation's health while attacking the evil capitalist exploiters of the British workers. Surprisingly (I question whether this is the right word), they had done neither. In fact this Labour Government has played into the hands of the worst kind of exploitative cartels. Before explaining this, let's spend a little time finding out what exactly asbestos really is?

Asbestos is a generic name given to the fibrous variety of six naturally occurring minerals. The term 'asbestos', coming from the Greek meaning 'unquenchable' not a mineralogical definition, but a purely commercial name invented for its commercial uses.

Asbestos types fall into two groups - the Amphiboles and Serpentine. There are only three commercial types. Amphiboles which include the Blue (Crocidite), the Brown (Armosite), and Serpentine which is white or Chrysoltile asbestos. This is where the confusion starts. The white (Serpentine) is magnesium silicate and is formed in igneous rocks (volcanic) alongside a chemically similar material commonly known as talcum powder. The White fibres are silky and dissolve in the lungs, ten times quicker than the untested cellulose fibre the HSE promotes as one of the safer alternatives. Recent reports indicate that cellulose fibres may have the potential to be more of a health hazard that White Asbestos.

The Blue and Brown fibres are totally different minerals. Chemically, they are non-silicates and are found only in sedimentary rocks. A good description of these fibres is that they resemble shards of broken glass needles that fracture into even smaller invisible missiles that invade the lungs and rupture cells causing the asbestos related cancers we all fear. These types of fibres stay forever in the lung.

Continued in September 2006 issue of Feathered World which also contains guidance on the following topics:

Introduction - Lighting

Respiratory Infections

Rabbit Flu

Salmonella