[Jewelry making - Article 00595] - [Orchid] [Rant] Lead horror and pop science

[Kay Davis]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    LOL  well up here in Quebec, Canada. Not only did we occasionally do
    that Chew sinkers while out fishing, but we ate Duck and Geese that
    we had to dig the lead pellets out of after they died of acute lead
    impact :) Gee I guess the lead was really toxic, killed them just by
    hitting them and in small quantities too sometimes only 2 or 3
    pellets. 

    	Really the whole lead thing is so overblown it is ludicrous. Lead
    compounds that are easily absorbed (like lead oxide which was used
    in paints) are toxic (not very Toxic, but plain toxic), and yes I
    know exposure is cumulative because the body clears lead very slowly.
    However elemental Lead and non soluble compounds are no worse than
    many others. Like anything in life knowing the facts, and here I mean
    the scientific facts, not what some pressure group or way out there
    "expert" has pronounced to be facts is the best defense. Another
    example of lead exposure is that in many US cities lead pipes were
    (and still are in use) for distributing water. For decades there was
    no problem because the PH of water disinfected with Chlorine  was
    such that very little lead dissolved. The the discovery was made
    that some of the reaction products of clorinating water are cancer
    causing (in Rats that is) so many cities switched to other
    disenfecting agents such as Ozone or Bromine based compounds, which
    changed the PH of the output water from the filtration station, not
    by much but enough that cities such as Washington DC that are now
    having problems with elevated (as in well above EPA safe limits) lead
    concentrations in their water. So which is worse? 

    	One of my Favories is The absolout horror Asbestos is held in...
    Instant cascenogin even if it is encapsulated, but if in the same
    building YOU WILL GET CANCER... So at the insistence of several
    pressure groups relieing on limited studies, it was banned and
    declared a class A carcenogin. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying
    that asbestos can and does cause cancer, just to what degree and
    under what conditions. Cancer is common in Miners and Shipyard and
    boiler workers that worked with (and sometimes in) asbestos powder.
    However in other indistries using Asbestos the cancer rates are not
    statisticially different from background, Why? Maybe the form and
    degree of exposure???   Again Statisticially Second hand smoke is
    more dangerous than working as a brake mechanic and blowing out the
    brake dust (which used to be almost pure asbestos) with compressed
    air , like many did for years without cancer, yet I don't see the
    police pulling over a car filled with smoke and children to issue an
    EPA ceise and desist order along with a cleanup order. In addition
    now they are discovering that the replacement products for Asbestos
    that have simuilarr properties of fire resisastince are also friable
    and prone to producing fine dust that lo and behold also causes
    cancer in the same types and Rates as Asbestos does. Seems it has to
    do with particle size and physical shape that causes the cell dammage
    that causes cancer, so now a whole new bunch a of warnings are going
    out and companies are researching to find other subistutes for the
    asbestos substitute. 

    	So a little common sense and a true evaluation of the risk combined
    with a knowlwedge of statictics can carry us a long way. Remember if
    the risk is 1 in a million that drinking coffee will give you cancer,
    and if you drink it in the quanities I do, it doubles your risk of
    getting stomach cancer... Well you are still 5 times more likely to
    be hit by lightning in north America, and given I really like my
    coffee, well I will continue to drink it and avoid trees and wide
    open areas or eleveated areas during thunderstorms and gollie gee the
    lightning hasn't found me yet in a half century of trying (In either
    case). 

Sorry about the rant
Enjoy life
Kay

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________