Thread: All Australian timber is carcinogenic?

Agree, Glenn

Jill

From this link you would have to say http://oak.arch.utas.edu.au/tbia/vie...?articleID=316

http://www.safetysolutions.net.au/ar...ts-derivatives

Anything that is of a microscopic nature that is either ingested or inhaled stands to reason that it could be an irritant and if using a timber source and finishing with increasingly finer sanding applications then it will be a problem given that protection is non-existent or seldom used.

ANY product will do this ...think of coal miners with dusted lungs

As an aside a little factual story....The coastal plane of the South West of WA is predominately of fine grey sand which kicks up a fine dust if disturbed when dry.
We who have acreage by law have to put in firebreaks usually up to 2 tractor widths across.
A elderly chap who used to do ours eventually died apparently from inhalation of the fine dust because he wore no protection and used an open tractor an old Fergie which wherever he went there was a cloud of dirty grey dust.

Regard anything of a fine dusty nature no matter what so that your own protection is paramount.

Cheers

Originally Posted by FRB Design

Simply stated before,but are all Australian timber species carcinogenic?
From info i have studied you would have to say no.
But some are a risk of nasal or lung cancer if you are in constant exposure over long periods.

The question of are all Australian timber species carcinogenic?

They may not carcinogenic in their natural state ,however they may all have the potential to be carcinogenic in an altered state.

Cheers

Originally Posted by FRB Design

Could be why, but isnt MDF banned in America.

That seems unlikely, every wood working show coming out of the US features MDF, especially for router table tops, jigs, etc. A search of google suggests its a rumour.

Certainly interesting though as concerns regarding the formaldehyde seem to have led to some revisions of the manufacturing process. We just put down HDF based laminate flooring and there was quite a bit of literature on the levels of formaldehyde that could be released from the floor over its life time.

MDF is NOT banned over here. Why would anyone think it was?

Someone suggested that you were a fruit loop using oils from trees. Well I disagree I have to take immune suppressants and as a result I am prone to fungal infections Athletes foot etc. Well Ive used everything there is for that, but the best cure of all is Australian tea tree oil, I couldnt live without that stuff.

Once again:

IN AUSTRALIA - All wood dust is classed as carcinogenic and has been for a number of years.

Put another way: The dust of timbers from anywhere in the world is classed as carcinogenic in Australia. The timber itself is( in most instances) NOT classed as carcinogenic.

MDF is not carcinogenic, however the formaldehyde that used to be in it wasn't good for you, but the dust from cutting it is classed as carcinogenic. etc.etc.etc.
Many timbers have deadly toxins in their bark, sap or foliage, etc but the timber itself is not classed as carcinogenic.

Originally Posted by BobL

Eucalyptus oil is used as a medicinal material (very highly promoted by the fruit-loop fraternity)
.

There are fruit-loops everywhere!

Like Neil said "all wood dust is classified as carcinogenic in Australia" and I remember reading that NIOSH (americas occupational health and safety group) classified all timber dust as a level 1 carcinogen. This meant it was known to cause cancer in humans and level 1 is the same rating as cigarettes. I can't remember where I read that so it is possibly wrong.
I know I'm not taking any chances though!

Originally Posted by Woodturnerjosh

Like Neil said "all wood dust is classified as carcinogenic in Australia" and I remember reading that NIOSH (americas occupational health and safety group) classified all timber dust as a level 1 carcinogen. This meant it was known to cause cancer in humans and level 1 is the same rating as cigarettes. I can't remember where I read that so it is possibly wrong.
I know I'm not taking any chances though!

This is all stated in the link that was posted above and also explaines the myth of MDF being banned in USA.

http://www.safetysolutions.net.au/ar...ts-derivatives

I know that Formaldehyde used as glue in pressed wood products is carcinogenic, probably much more than the wood. I wonder if some cause of the nasal cancer in woodworkers is due to formaldehyde? Most woodworkers cut plenty of plywood mdf, particle board etc.

I actually have kitchen cabinets made with particle board, and fake wood shelves. You can actually smell the formaldehyde urea in the cups and dishes. It off gasses bad. I also used to have a shelving unit in the pantry with particle board shelves, and the formaldehyde gases would make their way into the saltine crackers and make them taste like particle board.

Old trailers used a whole lot pressed wood products, turns out that people who lived in them seamed to have a tendency to get certain types of cancer. Now they limit the amount of off gassing formaldehyde you can put in a motor home, or trailer. In the states, the EPA recommends evaluating the levels in your home, and doing what you can do to limit exposure.

I am trying to get my sources and materials figured out so that I avoid using to much poison in my work. Exterior grade plywood, and other pressed wood products containing phenol formaldehyde, release a lot less formaldehyde than formaldehyde urea. It is very hard to find plywood, or paneling which doesn't use a formaldehyde glue, so it isn't really practical to avoid it all together.

One major contributer to formaldehyde indoor air pollution is pergo, or laminate flooring. I recently tore some out and replaced it with bamboo. The smell that filled the house when I pulled up the pergo was bad, kind of a urine like smell, it will sting the eyes.

My philosophy is that if it is poisonous and smells like , I don't want to breath safe levels of it, I'd rather not breath any of it. The same goes for fish in certain parts of the world which have mercury in them. One lake around here has fish, and they suggest not eating it more than once a month. How about don't eat it at all.

Anyways, all the more reason to save up and get a festool system with the ultra efficient hepa dust collector.

Actually from what I've read it seams that fomaldehyde emissions in Australian pressed wood products are regulated, and supposedly all are low emission.

In the States there currently are no regulations, except on overall emissions in trailers and RV's.