[Jewelry making - Article 00010] - Re: [Orchid] Electromagnetic fields influences on health

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>>     and subjects like ventilation, respirators, toxic materials, and
>>    the like. 

>        And Peter, acknowledging the truth about your post, and knowing
>     what your concerns are, the effects of electromagnetic fields on
>     the scale the average person is subjected to them seems like it is
>     not a major concern. There seems to be no accurate science
>     recognizing what is or is not safe. I believe in most cities,
>     particulate matter in the air, air pollution, is a far greater long
>     term threat, which seems to be basically ignored. 

    Oh, I fully agree with you here. The level of electromagnetic fields
    we're exposed to in our normal studios is very mild, and presents no
    risk that anyone has been able to reliably demonstrate. It's useful
    to remember that the earth itself generates such a field, as well as
    electromagnetic radiation from the sun and the universe itself. It
    may be, however, a question of Intensity. While I've no qualms living
    around and working with normal levels as usually found, I'd have some
    second thoughts about, say, building my home directly under the very
    high tension lines leaving a power generating plant, and I don't
    think I'd want to mount a permanently ON large Tesla coil in my
    bedroom for the cool effects either. Being able to light a
    fluorescent tube just by picking it up, without other electrical
    connections is just not high on my list of things I want to do all
    the time (grin). 

>        My wife is always nervous about any investment that she sees, a
>     little on my pants or some transferred from a concrete floor by my
>     shoe to a carpet. There is probably more danger from vacuuming
>     this investment, as it gets blown out the vacuum exhaust. I usually
>     do a wet clean up. 

    If you don't have a HEPA filter on the vacuum, then likely your
    quite correct. And investment before it's mixed up is less dangerous
    that after you've fired the flask. I've heard (right here on Orchid)
    that it's most dangerous form is such as what's released when you
    quench a flask. The aerosol of steam and powder is too small in
    particle size to see floating in the air, but after firing, those
    particles are especially dangerous, perhaps more so than the
    sometimes larger amounts put into the air when you first mix the
    investment. Since Silica in the lungs IS cumulative, I'd say you
    simply cannot be too careful with the stuff. But as you've also said,
    careful is not the same as paranoid. One must live one's life too,
    not spend it in lots of effort worrying. So the answer is to educate
    oneself about the materials we use, and their risks, then take the
    suitable precautions as best we can, and simply get on with it all.
    Obsessing about it won't improve one's safety, and is hard on ones
    creativity. 

>        There is more danger of life threatening illness from germs and
>     bacteria in your kitchen sink and your bathroom then some of the
>     dangers from our studios. Some studio hazards are cumulative.
>     Bacteria and germs are not. 

    What?  When did you see my bathroom?  Actually, I'm not sure you're
    completely correct here. We live in an evironment filled with the
    germs, and our systems have become exquisitely well capable of
    dealing with them. In fact the constant presence of the things may
    help keep our immune systems properly tuned up. For germs, I don't
    worry about my own house. I worry about what I come into contact with
    out in public, where other people may bring me into contact with a
    variety of bugs that I might NOT yet be tuned up for. But again,
    common sense rules, not paranoia. And for dangers, back to the
    kitchen sink, I'd guess the most dangerous stuff there is in the
    bottles of varous cleaning agents stored under that sink, not the
    germs and stuff in the area, though some unusual molds may be an
    exception to that... Oh, and I'd also point out that there may be
    some cases where exposure to certain microbes is indeed a cumulative
    risk. Some people believe that some autoimmune disorders (such as
    diabetes) are triggered by multiple exposures to some such
    sensatizing agent. The first exposure sets up an immune response, the
    second or some subsequent exposure cause an over reaction. Some
    allergic responses also work this way. 

>      Safety yes, speculative peranoia, no. 

    I fully agree. 

Peter

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