Carl Cravens on sat 1 may 10
I'm a novice potter, taking spending maybe two to four hours a week in a ne=
arby studio, and I recently bought my own wheel and spend a few hours a wee=
k throwing in my basement workroom. Not a great deal, but with some folks =
acting like clay dust is practically radioactive(*), I started looking into=
just how much of a hazard I might be creating in my home as an occasional =
thrower, and what I might and should do about it.
I still haven't reached a clear conclusion, as so much advice, including ar=
ticles in magazines, is given without an indication of the target audience.=
.. does it all apply equally to hobbyist and full-time production potter al=
ike?
But in any case, I ran across this medical research paper from over fifteen=
years ago, showing a possibly connection between the consumption of jagger=
y (an extract from sugar cane used as a sweetener in India) and a decrease =
in the effects of silica and coal dust in the lungs. I don't see any discu=
ssion of it in the archives, and I wondered if anybody else had seen it and=
had thoughts on it? (Warning: the study involves abusing and killing lab =
rats. You may not want to read the details if that disturbs you.)
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/1994/Suppl-5/sahu-full.html
Not that it's a full solution, but it could be useful. Apparently miners i=
n an area of India suffer fewer lung problems than they should, and jaggery=
seems to be the cause. Everything I read about silicosis written by potte=
rs says that silica "never" leaves the lungs. According to this paper, the=
body has a natural mechanism to remove non-soluble particles from the lung=
s, and jaggery increases the rate at which it is removed.
(* - I exaggerate, but stripping to your undies, stuffing your clothes in a=
sealed bag, and immediately showering *is* how you deal with exposure to r=
adioactive materials. :)
--
Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
A bit of tolerance is worth a megabyte of flaming.
KATHI LESUEUR on mon 3 may 10
Your parents are right to be concerned. I'm sure that their furnace
filter is incapable of filtering out clay dust. And, once it gets
into your heating system it is nearly impossible to remove. I had a
basement studio for five years. I had my ducts professionally cleaned
but still I get clay dust blowing out from the vents. The longer you
are in the basement the worse the hazard will be.
KATHI LESUEUR
http://www.lesueurclaywork.com
On May 1, 2010, at 12:08 PM, Carl Cravens wrote:
> I'm a novice potter, taking spending maybe two to four hours a week
> in a nearby studio, and I recently bought my own wheel and spend a
> few hours a week throwing in my basement workroom. Not a great
> deal, but with some folks acting like clay dust is practically
> radioactive(*), I started looking into just how much of a hazard I
> might be creating in my home as an occasional thrower, and what I
> might and should do about it.
>
> I still haven't reached a clear conclusion, as so much advice,
> including articles in magazines, is given without an indication of
> the target audience... does it all apply equally to hobbyist and
> full-time production potter alike?
jonathan byler on mon 3 may 10
your lungs may remove the stuff, but If I understand correctly, the
scar tissue formed makes it hard to breath. don't mix dry clay in
your poorly vented basement. don't put an unvented kiln in your
basement. don't make a lot of dust. wet clean - don't use a vacuum
without hepa filter and avoid brooms whenever possible. use a mop/
wetvac, sponges, etc. try to learn to work without getting clay slop
everywhere and you won't have as much to clean up.
if you don't smoke (and never have), you are already at less risk for
complications of silica exposure to your lungs. follow some simple
common sense precautionary measures as I outlined above, and stop
being paranoid... and make some pots.
On May 1, 2010, at 11:08 AM, Carl Cravens wrote:
> I'm a novice potter, taking spending maybe two to four hours a week
> in a nearby studio, and I recently bought my own wheel and spend a
> few hours a week throwing in my basement workroom. Not a great
> deal, but with some folks acting like clay dust is practically
> radioactive(*), I started looking into just how much of a hazard I
> might be creating in my home as an occasional thrower, and what I
> might and should do about it.
>
> I still haven't reached a clear conclusion, as so much advice,
> including articles in magazines, is given without an indication of
> the target audience... does it all apply equally to hobbyist and
> full-time production potter alike?
>
> But in any case, I ran across this medical research paper from over
> fifteen years ago, showing a possibly connection between the
> consumption of jaggery (an extract from sugar cane used as a
> sweetener in India) and a decrease in the effects of silica and coal
> dust in the lungs. I don't see any discussion of it in the
> archives, and I wondered if anybody else had seen it and had
> thoughts on it? (Warning: the study involves abusing and killing
> lab rats. You may not want to read the details if that disturbs you.)
>
> http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/1994/Suppl-5/sahu-full.html
>
> Not that it's a full solution, but it could be useful. Apparently
> miners in an area of India suffer fewer lung problems than they
> should, and jaggery seems to be the cause. Everything I read about
> silicosis written by potters says that silica "never" leaves the
> lungs. According to this paper, the body has a natural mechanism to
> remove non-soluble particles from the lungs, and jaggery increases
> the rate at which it is removed.
>
> (* - I exaggerate, but stripping to your undies, stuffing your
> clothes in a sealed bag, and immediately showering *is* how you deal
> with exposure to radioactive materials. :)
>
> --
> Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
> A bit of tolerance is worth a megabyte of flaming.
Lee Love on mon 3 may 10
On Mon, May 3, 2010 at 7:21 PM, KATHI LESUEUR w=
=3D
rote:
> basement studio for five years. I had my ducts professionally cleaned
> but still I get clay dust blowing out from the vents. The longer you
> are in the basement the worse the hazard will be.
I'm in Minnesota, but my furnace has been off for a month.
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
Lee Love on mon 3 may 10
On Mon, May 3, 2010 at 7:43 PM, jonathan byler wrote:
> your lungs may remove the stuff, but If I understand correctly, the
> scar tissue formed makes it hard to breath. =3DA0don't mix dry clay in
> your poorly vented basement. =3DA0don't put an unvented kiln in your
> basement. =3DA0don't make a lot of dust. =3DA0wet clean - don't use a
These are the same practices you would follow in a studio, where
ever it is. If you follow save studio practice, change shoes from
studio to living area, you should be just fine.
I just moved my throwing area from the basement to the garage
studio this week. Enjoying the light and the space!
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
Eric Hansen on tue 4 may 10
I concur
h a n s e n
On Mon, May 3, 2010 at 8:43 PM, jonathan byler wrote:
> your lungs may remove the stuff, but If I understand correctly, the
> scar tissue formed makes it hard to breath. don't mix dry clay in
> your poorly vented basement. don't put an unvented kiln in your
> basement. don't make a lot of dust. wet clean - don't use a vacuum
> without hepa filter and avoid brooms whenever possible. use a mop/
> wetvac, sponges, etc. try to learn to work without getting clay slop
> everywhere and you won't have as much to clean up.
>
> if you don't smoke (and never have), you are already at less risk for
> complications of silica exposure to your lungs. follow some simple
> common sense precautionary measures as I outlined above, and stop
> being paranoid... and make some pots.
>
>
>
> On May 1, 2010, at 11:08 AM, Carl Cravens wrote:
>
> I'm a novice potter, taking spending maybe two to four hours a week
>> in a nearby studio, and I recently bought my own wheel and spend a
>> few hours a week throwing in my basement workroom. Not a great
>> deal, but with some folks acting like clay dust is practically
>> radioactive(*), I started looking into just how much of a hazard I
>> might be creating in my home as an occasional thrower, and what I
>> might and should do about it.
>>
>> I still haven't reached a clear conclusion, as so much advice,
>> including articles in magazines, is given without an indication of
>> the target audience... does it all apply equally to hobbyist and
>> full-time production potter alike?
>>
>> But in any case, I ran across this medical research paper from over
>> fifteen years ago, showing a possibly connection between the
>> consumption of jaggery (an extract from sugar cane used as a
>> sweetener in India) and a decrease in the effects of silica and coal
>> dust in the lungs. I don't see any discussion of it in the
>> archives, and I wondered if anybody else had seen it and had
>> thoughts on it? (Warning: the study involves abusing and killing
>> lab rats. You may not want to read the details if that disturbs you.)
>>
>> http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/1994/Suppl-5/sahu-full.html
>>
>> Not that it's a full solution, but it could be useful. Apparently
>> miners in an area of India suffer fewer lung problems than they
>> should, and jaggery seems to be the cause. Everything I read about
>> silicosis written by potters says that silica "never" leaves the
>> lungs. According to this paper, the body has a natural mechanism to
>> remove non-soluble particles from the lungs, and jaggery increases
>> the rate at which it is removed.
>>
>> (* - I exaggerate, but stripping to your undies, stuffing your
>> clothes in a sealed bag, and immediately showering *is* how you deal
>> with exposure to radioactive materials. :)
>>
>> --
>> Carl D Cravens (raven@phoenyx.net)
>> A bit of tolerance is worth a megabyte of flaming.
>>
>
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