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Post by greig on May 5, 2017 17:53:35 GMT -5
Inspecting and etching tremolite crystals and clusters. I did this for fun and to see what was in the rocks. I don't have the tools to cab, but if somebody wants to give it a shot, I could be talked into sending some rocks and in exchange would be happy to get one cab in return. I have no idea what makes good cab material (so you would have to tell me) but there is lots to choose from.
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barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
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Post by barclay on May 5, 2017 19:26:06 GMT -5
The video was interesting to watch. As you acknowledge the material you are trying to harvest is asbestos. The video is not 100% clear, but it some of the crystal clusters have a white powdery look to them. That is likely asbestos fibers. When you are dissolving the calcite matrix you are likely dissolving some of the mineral "glue" that is keeping the fibers from being released. There is a reason the folks who deal with asbestos get paid a lot of money, it is dangerous to work with. Grinding asbestos that has any kind of a fiberous look is a bad idea. The water spray in a grinder is not going to protect you because those water/mineral droplets go into the air and eventually dry out. This gives those fibers a chance to get airborne.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2017 23:32:10 GMT -5
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barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
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Post by barclay on May 6, 2017 12:40:18 GMT -5
There a couple of difficulties using this study for this case, the main one is that they were working with chrysotile and here we are working with tremolite and other types. i have heard that there are a number of studies claiming that chrysotile is not as dangerous as other forms as asbestos. Here is a link to a study of Libby, Montana where they mined vermiculite which contained tremolite and other forms of asbestos. The study has it's limitations since they based their work on a variety of health records gathered well after the fact, but they do say that non-occupational exposure is believed to have lead to some deaths. The problem with asbestos is that it is a very durable material. For instance. you get some fibers on your hands and wipe them on your clothes. Next those clothes go in the washing machine and some of them end up on the other clothes, which get worn by the rest of the family. Over time some of those fibers work free and get inhaled. Studies look at broad sets of data over long periods of time. Studies will not tell us our individual risk based on our unique exposure and health circumstances. Smoking for instance drastically increases the chance of mesothelioma and lung cancer when coupled with exposure to asbestos. if you have a solid crystal of tremolite it is probably only dangerous if you inhale it or try to swallow it. Tremolite fibers are a different story. Grindng tremolite is a different story. |
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barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
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Post by barclay on May 6, 2017 12:40:54 GMT -5
There a couple of difficulties using this study for this case, the main one is that they were working with chrysotile and here we are working with tremolite and other types. i have heard that there are a number of studies claiming that chrysotile is not as dangerous as other forms as asbestos. Here is a link to a study of Libby, Montana (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5318660/) where they mined vermiculite which contained tremolite and other forms of asbestos. The study has it's limitations since they based their work on a variety of health records gathered well after the fact, but they do say that non-occupational exposure is believed to have lead to some deaths. The problem with asbestos is that it is a very durable material. For instance. you get some fibers on your hands and wipe them on your clothes. Next those clothes go in the washing machine and some of them end up on the other clothes, which get worn by the rest of the family. Over time some of those fibers work free and get inhaled. Studies look at broad sets of data over long periods of time. Studies will not tell us our individual risk based on our unique exposure and health circumstances. Smoking for instance drastically increases the chance of mesothelioma and lung cancer when coupled with exposure to asbestos. if you have a solid crystal of tremolite it is probably only dangerous if you inhale it or try to swallow it. Tremolite fibers are a different story. Grindng tremolite is a different story. |
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Post by vegasjames on May 7, 2017 7:04:01 GMT -5
Inspecting and etching tremolite crystals and clusters. I did this for fun and to see what was in the rocks. I don't have the tools to cab, but if somebody wants to give it a shot, I could be talked into sending some rocks and in exchange would be happy to get one cab in return. I have no idea what makes good cab material (so you would have to tell me) but there is lots to choose from.
I would be interested in trading some other stones in exchange for tremolite. |
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Post by greig on May 8, 2017 11:34:57 GMT -5
The video was interesting to watch. As you acknowledge the material you are trying to harvest is asbestos. The video is not 100% clear, but it some of the crystal clusters have a white powdery look to them. That is likely asbestos fibers. When you are dissolving the calcite matrix you are likely dissolving some of the mineral "glue" that is keeping the fibers from being released. There is a reason the folks who deal with asbestos get paid a lot of money, it is dangerous to work with. Grinding asbestos that has any kind of a fiberous look is a bad idea. The water spray in a grinder is not going to protect you because those water/mineral droplets go into the air and eventually dry out. This gives those fibers a chance to get airborne. Thanks for the heads up. |
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Post by greig on May 8, 2017 11:36:33 GMT -5
First good news about being in my 50's. LOL
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