health effects of [was] applying powdered teflon

[Mark Bolsius]

I just had a look at the Material Safety Data Sheet for Teflon powder. 

If inhaled in can be a potential carcinogen. It didn't mention anything
about how much you have to inhale for that risk to become an issue. High
inhalation risk is usually accompanied by a warning to wear protective
equipment, which wasn't on the sheet, so my reading of that is that even the
smallest risk has to be mentioned. I can't imagine that it is as volatile as
say asbestos, where a single fibre can eventually bring about mesophylioma
(sp?)/Lung Cancer. 

But it makes me aware enough to be careful from now on - I'm not going to
wear a mask based on that. The powder is stable and sticky enough that I'm
not concerned - but I will be washing my hands immediately after applying it
in future or evacuating a space if there is a spill that has caused obvious
airborne particles until it has settled!

The data sheet didn't talk about the danger at high temps except that it
melts at 327 degree Celsius (whatever that might be in F I have no idea).

Here in Australia, businesses are legally required to carry material safety
data sheets for all compounds and products used in the workplace even down
to the washing liquid used in the kitchen sink - if it's handled by any
employee, you have to have one!! The sheets are available to one and all via
the net on just about everything...

 - do you guys have similar workplace laws?

On that Cheery note
Ciao
Mark Bolsius

Bolsius Piano Services
Canberra Australia

-----Original Message-----
From: R Barber [mailto:bassooner42 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Saturday, 24 February 2007 2:52 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: health effects of [was] applying powdered teflon

When your body tries to expel it from the lungs, you can get pneumonia. 
   I don't know about longer term diseases?
I always use a nose and mouth filter breathing mask when sanding and 
spraying, but don't bother when brushing on TeflonT.  I always wish I 
had a dust mask on when opening up one of those great filthy dusty 
pianos people like to keep sitting just beside the dining room table.

http://www.ohiocitizen.org/campaigns/dupont_c8/c8cartoon2.jpg

> As I understood it, the health concerns around our use micro-fine 
> Teflon were not related to burning it, but rather inhaling it.  The 
> danger with any extremely fine particles, measured in microns, is that 
> they are easily inhaled deeply into the alveoli.  These are the tiny 
> spheres in the lungs where gas exchange takes place.   It is difficult 
> for the body to expel anything that gets stuck down there.  The long 
> term effects of that are ????
> 
> Teflon itself may be inert at the temperatures we are talking about, 
> but I still wouldn't want to inhale it or anything else of a similar 
> particle size.  Perhaps taking precautions when working with some of 
> the materials we commonly use is more appropriate than a cavalier 
> attitude?
> 
> Jurgen Goering
> Piano Forte Supply
> (250) 754-2440
> info at pianofortesupply.com
> http://www.pianofortesupply.com
> 
> 
> On Feb 22, 2007, at 15:14, pianotech-request at ptg.org wrote:
> 
>> Teflon is toxic if you heat it up (700 degrees or so) and has been 
>> presented as a danger in Teflon coated pans.  Fortunately, my wife 
>> doesn't heat anything in a pan to half that temperature so we feel 
>> safe and have the obvious longevity to prove it.  It's like a lot of 
>> the other "terrible things that can happen" if you take something to 
>> an extreme lots of bad things happen.