I guess I'd have to say: Thanks, John, for the indepth information.
However, we should all be aware that handling almost anything that we
might inhale or get a lot of on our skin has the potential to be
harmful. I don't think humans were really made to bathe in anything
but water or breathe anything but air. So: when we work with any
construction material, we need to exercise caution. At the same time,
anytime we want to produce anything, we have to do some handling of
the materials. The knowledge is good and should be applied toward
safe handling of materials rather than non-handling of materials. No
construction material was intended to be inhaled, swallowed or used
as a mud-pack for facials. Lynda
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "John Annesley" <John@...> wrote:
>
> The facts of portland cement manufacture, as presented by the EPA
follows. Below that
> are study results regarding human contact with portland cement as a
product, as in when
> mixing it and breathing the dust, having the dust on your skin,
touching wet portland and
> all that as is common during the papercrete making process. This
post was made as a
> response to folks who pointed out that asphalt emulsion contains
bad stuff, and that 12
> states don't believe it to be non-toxic. Well, everyone everywhere
with any knowledge of
> the topic, knows (not believes) portland cement to be toxic from
manufacture to end user
> contact. The same is true of printer's ink which is in most of the
waste paper being used
> in papercrete. The very end of this post has gov. info on printer's
ink. Here's the EPA info,
> followed by the rest...
>
> The EPA says cement production results in emissions of air toxics
such as arsenic,
> cadmium, chromium, lead, benzene, toulene, dioxins/furans, hexane,
and formaldehyde.
> "Exposure to these compounds may be associated with a number of
adverse health
> effects, including cancer, respiratory illness, and nervous system,
dermal, developmental,
> and/or reproductive effects." Also, "Exposure to particulate
matter (emitted from portland
> cement plants) has been linked with adverse health effects,
including aggravation of
> existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease and increased risk
of premature death."
> Hydrocarbons are released from portland cement kilns
annually, "Some of these
> hydrocarbons are volatile organic compounds, which can contribute
to the formation of
> ground-level ozone. Ground-level ozone can cause a variety of
health problems because
> it damages lung tissue, reduces lung function, and makes the lungs
susceptible to other
> irritants."
>
> As for contact with the product we put in papercrete, portland
cement in bags:
>
> As the UK government reports regarding portland cement: "Since the
early 1990s, a
> number of relevant cancer cohort and case control studies have been
published,
> conducted in groups exposed to cement either through employment in
cement
> manufacturing or in the construction industry. These studies have
identified
> associations between cement exposure and cancers at several
specific sites:
> the stomach, lungs, colon, and head/neck." One study by North
Carolina's OSHA
> regarding PC states: " Inhalation of dry Portland cement may cause
irritation to the moist
> mucous membranes of the nose, throat and upper respiratory system,
or may cause or
> aggravate certain lung diseases or conditions. Although Portland
cement is not recognized
> as a carcinogen by NTP, OSHA, or IARC, it contains crystalline
silica and hexavalent
> chromium, which are recognized as carcinogens by these
organizations." Also the report
> says, " Portland cement is considered a hazardous chemical under
OSHA's Hazard
> Communication standard, 29CFR 1910.1200 (HAZCOM), and should be
included in the
> employer's hazard communication program. Employers whose employees
are exposed to
> Portland cement must provide appropriate training, maintain labels
and copies of MSDSs
> for Portland cement in their workplaces, and ensure that these
documents are readily
> accessible during each work shift."
>
> Here's an article about settlement of a hexavalent chromium suit
filed by AFL-CIO, the
> Laborer's International Union of North America, and the
International Brotherhood of
> Teamsters against OSHA. It details the safety precautions now
required on job sites
> nationwide if portland cement is used.
>
>
> (Note: the author --that would be me-- uses portland cement
regularly in the
> construction trades and doesn't feel that its use is necessarily
worse than driving a car
> fueled by gasoline, or driving a car made out of plastic, or using
those toxic nightmares
> known as batteries whether in flashlights or in electric cars.
Earth bag houses use plastic
> bags to seal radon-emitting dirt. Oh, and then there's printer's
ink as found in recycled
> newsprint:
>
> Dangers of printers ink as found in papercrete, according to the us
government: http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/chemical/17342
>
> "Health Hazard: May cause toxic effects if inhaled or absorbed
through skin. Inhalation or
> contact with material may irritate or burn skin and eyes. Fire will
produce irritating,
> corrosive and/or toxic gases. Vapors may cause dizziness or
suffocation. Runoff from fire
> control or dilution water may cause pollution. (DOT, 2000).
Printer's ink is generally a
> dye-solvent mixture. The solvent is flammable and a polar organic
most likely an alcohol
> such as, isobutyl, propyl, diacetone, or various other alcohols.
Many polar compounds
> should be included in this group such as various aldehydes, amyl
nitrite, acetone
> (ketones), esters, methyl acetate, nitroethane, trimethyl
phosphite, chloroheptane, diethyl
> sulfide, ethyl borate, ethylene dichloride, butyraldoxime. (NOAA
REACTIVITY, 2007)."
>
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