marianne kuiper milks on mon 9 jan 06
The following came in on my husband's site this morning. I thought i'd pass it on, since so many are actively building and rebuilding, also dealing with other materials in studios that may have these materials in them. In addition we are all involved with chemicals known and unknown on a daily basis. You may want to know, or feel safer ignmoring. I'm somewhere in the middle.
PUT A LID ON CHEMICALS
from Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, reproduced with permission.
Whether you are building or remodeling, take special precautions with chemical-based materials, which can emit chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chemicals, such as urea and phenyls, can come from materials such as particle board, fibeerboard, and insulation. They can irritate your eyes, skin, and air passages, and some - trichloroethane, for example - are even thought to cause cancer. Materials that can release VOCs include:
Plaster and drywall
Manufactured wood products (particle board, plyqwood, composite board, etc)
paint, resin and varnish
Organic and rubber solvents
Putty, sealants and caulks
wallpaper
Vinyl floor coverings
Synthetic carpething, padding and adhesives
Dapery
Some cleaning compounds.
Some common VOCs are:
Aldehyde
Benzene and related compound Xylene
Toluene
Trichloroethane
Chlorobenzine
Polychlorinated biphenyls (found in electrical components, waste oil supplies, and a variety of plastic and paper products.
If possible, you should use safer, alternative building products, but if it's necessary to work with VOCs, be careful to protect yourself: wear a mask and goggles if you are sanding, sawing, or tearing out any of these materials, and be sure you're working in na well-ventilated area. open the windows and uase a fan - blowing toward the outside, not into the house - to push out dust and fumes.
----------------------- Verbatim from the allergic horse's mouth--------
This is not to freighten anyone: just for those who like to know and/or be informed in general. Literally: take it or leave it.
Some of this is overly obvious but there are things here I didn't know, although I've done much construction in our house.
Thought it may be appreciated by some, particularly since alternate materials
can be found.
Re allergic reactions: try to stay away from the material for a few days, then put a glob of whatever on the inside of your arm with a bandaide to test allergy/intolerance. Check after a day, unless it starts itching in which case you remove all and switch to another product. (Clay, for example) If it happens again, isolate compounds and test one by one and avoid that product. Save your self a lot of money this way.
Marianne
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