In a move the EPA deemed ‘historic,’ the agency has banned chrysotile asbestos, the only form of the cancer-causing mineral that the U.S. still imports and uses

  • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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    3 months ago

    Dust from refractory isn’t good to breathe. Koawool still has warnings not to inhale the fluff. Anything that has silicate in it is a respiratory hazard when it has particles small enough to get into your lungs. And it, like asbestos, will cause issues. The speed at which these issues show up is linked to the amount you are exposed to. If you breathe clouds of the stuff for weeks on end, it’ll show up a hell of a lot quicker than if you are exposed irregularly over years. ANY TIME you are working a SILICATE based material, you should be wearing respiratory protection (or around any dust really, even you are cleaning air vents or sanding wood). Silicosis is a killer, dust doesn’t belong in lungs.