Eneng Maryani
Asbes
Di alam, asbes adalah bentuk serat mineral silikat dari
beberapa oksida logam. Mineral asbes ada dua
kelompok yaitu kelompok serpentine dan amphibole.
Chrysotile adalah mineral asbes yang paling melimpah
di alam dan ekonomis.
Asbes merupakan mineral yang berserat panjang, tipis,
mudah dipisahkan. Serat asbes cukup kuat dan fleksibel
untuk diputar, dipintal, dan dianyam
Serat asbes memiliki tensile strength tinggi, sebagai
konduktor panas yang lemah, tahan terhadap bahan
kimia asam (kecuali chrysotile) dan alkali, bersifat tahan
panas, struktur dan sifatnya tidak berubah pada
temperatur yang relatif tinggi, sehingga banyak
digunakan dalam berbagai industri.
Work Environments
Asbestos product manufacturing (insulation, roofing, building,
materials)
Automotive repair (brakes & clutches)
Construction sites
Maritime operations
Mining operations
Offshore rust removals
Oil refineries
Power plants
Railroads
Sand or abrasive manufacturers
Shipyards / ships / shipbuilders
Steel mills
Profesi yang berhubungan dengan asbes
Asbestos removal workers Glazers
Workers at exfoliation facilities where Grinders
asbestos ore was processed Hod carriers
Demolition workers Insulators
Workers at asbestos product Iron workers
manufacturing plants Laborers
Auto mechanics Longshoremen
Boilermakers Maintenance workers
Bricklayers Merchant marines
Building inspectors Millwrights
Carpenters Operating engineers
Drywallers Painters
Electricians Plasterers
Floor covering manufacturers or Plumbers
installers
Furnace workers Roofers
Bahaya Paparan Asbes
Debu asbes yang terhirup dapat menyebabkan :
asbestosis: fibrosis (yang menimbulkan penebalan dan luka gores
pada paru-paru);
kanker paru-paru: termasuk kanker batang tenggorokan;
mesothelioma: kanker pada bagian lain saluran pernapasan seperti
kanker pleura atau peritoneum.
debu asbes juga dapat menyebabkan penebalan pleura di sana sini
(diffuse pleural thickening) dan timbulnya lapisan plak pleura
(circumscribed pleural plaques) yang dapat mengarah pada
pengapuran.
Kanker jenis lain (misalnya kanker pada saluran pencernaan) juga
sering dianggap sebagai akibat kontaminasi debu asbes. Tetapi
hingga sekarang belum ada bukti meyakinkan yang memperkuat
dugaan itu.
Serat asbes dapat terpenetrasi pada lapisan epidermis kulit dan
menyebabkan hyperkeratosis dan timbulnya kutil
Faktor yg mempengaruhi resiko terkena bahaya asbes
Various factors determine how exposure to asbestos affects an individual:
Exposure concentration - what was the concentration of asbestos fibers?
Exposure duration - how long did the exposure time period last?
Exposure frequency - how often during that time period was the person
exposed?
Size, shape and chemical makeup of asbestos fibers:
Long and thin fibers are expected to reach the lower airways and alveolar
regions of the lung, to be retained in the lung longer, and to be more toxic
than short and wide fibers or particles. Wide particles are expected to be
deposited in the upper respiratory tract and not to reach the lung and
pleura, the sites of asbestos-induced toxicity. Short, thin fibers, however,
may also play a role in asbestos pathogenesis. Fibers of amphibole
asbestos such as tremolite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, and crocidolite
asbestos are retained longer in the lower respiratory tract than chrysotile
fibers of similar dimension.
cigarette smoke and asbestos together significantly increase your chances
of getting lung cancer. Therefore, if you have been exposed to asbestos you
should stop smoking. This may be the most important action that you can
take to improve your health and decrease your risk of cancer.
Kegiatan yg menyebabkan terjadinya paparan asbes