Bacia Edelman on fri 6 may 05
Hi, folks: I have been working in clay since --my gosh-- over 53 yrs. I was
going to say when I finished art school and grad school, but I got plenty of
dust in my lungs while IN both places. We knew nothing about silicosis or
what could happen from fumes with Manganese dioxide while firing glazes
containing
it.
As my sweet and dear close Clayart friends have already heard and I am
embarrassed to
put it on this worldwide listserve, this past fall I was diagnosed with chronic
lung disease called bronchiectasis. I am able, between bouts of whatever
(incl. the
Baltimore flu) hits my bronchi and goes into my lung(s) and is classed as
pneumonia,
to feel well, even back to singing in a choir. However, the phlegm in my
bronchi does
make me clear my throat or get hoarse from too much vocal practice or too
much yakking.
Currently I am on suppressive therapy of antibiotic every third
day. Please, good
friends, don't recommend non-medical herbal or holistic remedies as I am
also on
a blood thinner and am warned against them without checking. I used to do
everything without a mask
that involved clay and glaze in early days. Now, even with a correctly fitting
respirator when I spray glazes, I believe that despite a good squirrel cage fan
to the outdoors, particulate matter remains in the air, unseen of
course. A friend
potter told me to get out of the studio when I finish glazing. I spray
lichen glazes
which surface has become one of my signature finishes and I have not been
able to paint or
dip them over my other layers with any luck.
So I warn all of you who are around careless students or aren't super careful
yourselves to think about your lungs.
Brad Sondahl wrote:
The recent Warren MacKenzie NPR piece was thought provoking in that he
suffers from silicosis of the lung from breathing too much clay dust
(which he reported that he got from mixing clay without a mask). I know
the dangers of toxic chemicals and bad hygienic practices has been
discussed--------
Bacia Edelman
Madison, Wisconsin http://users.skynet.be/russel.fouts/bacia.htm
http://www.silverhawk.com/artisan/clay/edelman/index.html
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