[Jewelry making - Article 00518] - Re: [Orchid] Pregnancy and ventillation in studio

[Karen Goeller]

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Laura,

    Polishing compounds can definitely be contaminants; they contain
    products that are known carcinogens. While those may or may not cross
    the placental barrier, you should still be protecting yourself so
    your baby has a healthy mommy who is around for a long time. 

    There are many things which can be inhaled or absorbed through skin
    contact in the jewelry lab. When you're pregnant or any other time,
    you need to take appropriate precautions to minimize your exposure.
    Those precautions, however, can be pretty simple: 

    1. Buy yourself an N-95 rated personal respirator. They are a few
    dollars in the cheapest disposable version, available at any good
    hardware or home-depot type store. You can also get higher priced,
    more permanent ones with replacement cartridges. The key is that they
    are appropriately rated. The 95 means that it filters 95% of
    particulate matter (solid and liquid) from the air. The "N"
    designation means that it is NOT rated for oil-based particulates. It
    can be used until it is thoroughly dirty (no specific time limit). 

    If you have oil-based particulates in the shop, you'd look for an
    R-95 or P-95 designation. However, the R respirators can only be used
    for 8 hours each before being discarded. P's last longer but still
    have an "expiration" on them. 

    There are also 99% and 99.97% filter efficiency respirators that are
    used for highly toxic environments, firefighters and the like.
    However, they pretty much have to have a clean air supply attached to
    them and are impractical (and unnecessary) for studio use. 

    If you choose a surgical style mask, there are some that are N-95
    rated... just be sure to look. They are noted as "respirators" not as
    "nuisance dust masks" or the like. 

    2. Wear chemical-resistant gloves, like surgical gloves, made of
    latex or nitrile to help minimize absorption of chemicals through
    your pores. Obviously, you shouldn't wear them during hazardous tasks
    like polishing or soldering, where the glove adds a danger, but you
    definitely can during regular bench-work, pickling cleanup, mixing
    investment, etc. 

    3. Good ventilation in the shop is also a must... this might involve
    fresh air being brought in via fan (positive pressure) while
    contamination is sucked out through an exhaust fan (negative
    pressure). If you have a woodworker's shop near you, they can be a
    great source of idea for how to approach flexible exhaust systems.
    (Check out Penn State Industries' catalog for some good ideas, for
    example.) Ventilation, however, is not the same as filtration.
    Ventilation simply is a measure of air flow and exchange, while
    filtration (HEPA is the gold-standard in use today) actually removes
    contaminants from the air. In reality, a combination of the two is
    ideal. 

    Congratulations and good health to you and your baby! 

Karen Goeller
No Limitations Designs
Hand-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry
www.nolimitations.com
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