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manganese - no more irresponsible info please

updated sun 28 apr 02

 

vince pitelka on sat 27 apr 02


> There is also the factor of cummulative effects. If, as you say, only 5%
> will reach your brain, then consider if you injested on average, one-tenth
> of a gram a day. If you worked 6 days a week as many potters do, that
means
> you would get 1.5 grams in your brain in a year. In 20 years, you would
get
> 30 grams in your brain. What that would do to you, I do not know, but I
am
> sure that it would not be referred to as "only" 5% at that point.

John -
Your concern and warnings about potential dangers of manganese are well
founded and well taken, but conjecture of the above sort is incredibly
irresponsible of you. You are not a toxicologist, and you do not know a
damn thing about this. There are plenty of materials in the ceramics studio
that are dangerous, and we need to publicize that and use due caution in all
studio activities. Talk from your abundant experience about the things you
really know, but do not hypothesize on the amounts of manganese that the
average potter is going to ingest on a day-to-day basis, nor the amount that
is going to accumulate in the brain.

If you think this is something we need to publicize on Clayart, then contact
Edouard Bastarache and ask if there is any up-to-date information in the
literature. I am sure he will be happy to research the appropriate sources.
Best wishes -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/