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Actinolite asbestos is one of the rarer types of asbestos and is not often the source of exposure for cancer patients.
However, it’s still important to know what actinolite asbestos looks like, where it’s found and why it’s dangerous.
Actinolite asbestos can cause many types of cancer, including malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. Any type of asbestos is dangerous, and any amount of exposure can be cancerous.
Cancer from asbestos does not form for at least 10 years after exposure – and sometimes as much as 50 years – but asbestos experts can trace your exposures back to individual moments or places where asbestos was known to exist or likely existed.
What Actinolite Asbestos Looks Like
Actinolite asbestos is part of the amphibole asbestos family. This group of asbestos types are sharp and have chain-like structures. Others in this group are amosite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, crocidolite asbestos and tremolite asbestos.
Actinolite asbestos is dark in color, usually green, black or brown. The fibers are needle-like and are made up of other minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium.
Actinolite is found in metamorphic rocks and is a result of metamorphism of magnesium-rich limestones. The ocean and other sea waters contain trillions of tons of magnesium. It’s also found in underground salt deposits. This means actinolite asbestos may most often form underwater.
What Actinolite Asbestos Was Used for
Actinolite asbestos, like other types of asbestos, is durable. The durability of this asbestos type means it was combined with mixtures to strengthen cement, paint, drywall and sealants.
Actinolite asbestos was an option for building homes or office buildings, plus updating cement on driveways. Paint and drywall are just a few of the ways asbestos exposure happens in the home.
The needle-like appearance means actinolite asbestos are sharp. The sharpness of these fibers means they can puncture tissue linings and irritate the genetics of cells. When cells have genetic changes due to asbestos, they can mutate.
Mutated cells usually grow and spread quickly while not dying fast enough, which results in a cellular imbalance and clump of cells called a tumor.
Please contact our registered nurse Karen Ritter for more information on mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases. If you have a confirmed case of mesothelioma from a doctor, Nurse Karen can help you find a cancer center for treatment. Email Nurse Karen at karen@mesotheliomaguide.com for help.
You can also talk with an asbestos lawyer about your legal options, as the victims of asbestos exposure and cancer deserve compensation from the companies that used asbestos for profit.
- Types of Asbestos That Can Cause Asbestos Diseases. Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center. Retrieved from: https://www.pennmedicine.org/cancer/types-of-cancer/mesothelioma/asbestos-cancer/types-of-asbestos. Accessed: 09/01/2022.
Sources & Author
About the Writer, Devin Golden
Devin Golden is the content writer for Mesothelioma Guide. He produces mesothelioma-related content on various mediums, including the Mesothelioma Guide website and social media channels. Devin’s objective is to translate complex information regarding mesothelioma into informative, easily absorbable content to help patients and their loved ones.
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