Over-exposure to sensitizing wood dust

[dougart]

Okay...I knew better for sure but since it wasn't happening to me right away I took zero precations and now am paying the price for a severe reaction to over-exposure to cocobolo saw dust. My question to the group is:

Am I sensitized now to ALL toxic wood dusts or just cocobolo?
This reaction was very severe...what can I expect from another exposure and how much saw dust is required to be considered an exposure?

[echnidna]

Thats a question you need to ask a doctor but generally it probably hasn't done any long term harm.

As you have a sensitivity don't trust any wood dust.

[newtowood]

I see that SBS have a show on 17th October "Is your house killing you" with an episode on a guy using treated pine in his house construction. Might be worth a look.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

There's an old saying... "There are two types of people in the world; those who are allergic to Cocobolo and those who will be." It really is one of those woods that you need to be careful around... as you've found out to your cost.

The odds are good that you'll need to be wary of certain "types" of woods now - those which share the component you've become sensitised to.

For example, the quinones in Cocobolo also show up in Padauk, Ziricote, Bocote, Macassar Ebony and Pau Ferro (a Brazilian Rosewood substitute.) They may not affect you as badly as Cocobolo, but you'll probably show some reaction to them. This page can be heavy reading, but explains cross-sensitivity well.

[Matt88s]

What kind of reaction did you have? Minor skin rash, major skin rash, lung irritation, anaphylactic shock, all of the above??

[K_S]

Wood dust is one of those things - if you can smell it your breathing it.

[PAH1]

I did a bit of research on this topic a couple of months ago, the statistics are rather grim. One third of people with a woodust problem recover with no further exposure, one third recover somewhat and one third make no improvement.

[rsser]

Bear in mind too that sensitivity can build up over repeated exposure, so just cos you don't have a prob with one specie doesn't mean you'll never have.

.... me and redgum; can't live with it, can't live without it ;-}

[John Saxton]

Would it be over governing to suggest that people looking to do trade tickets or courses thru TAFE etc be wisened to the fact that some local/exotic woods can have an affect on your health over prolonged exposure?

They probably are aware of this in their courses but how much is it impressed upon them!

Cheers

[ciscokid]

Sorry you had a reaction, Doug. It happened to me also. Took my doctor two weeks to put me right again. Now, I seem to have reactions to most of the rosewood family. Here is a link with some information.

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person.../_toxicity.htm

If you haven't checked out hobbithouse yet, it can be a very informative site. He has nice veneer for sale also.

For what it's worth, it hasn't stopped me. I bought an air cleaner which hangs from the ceiling of my shop now and I wear a charcoal filter respirator for most of the exotics I work with. I just planed a bunch of bloodwood yesterday and will be cutting dovetails this morning. From what I've read, this stuff will mess you up. So it's long sleeves, respirator, sealed goggles and an immediate shower afterwards for me.

Good luck to you and happy woodworking.

[rsser]

Even if you can't smell it it's bad for you. WWers are 5 - 40 times more likely than the general population to develop nasal cancer, though it may take 30 years or more to happen.

[Wood Butcher]

Here is another web page listing some woods that people can have reactions to. Especially in schools we have to be very aware of these as it may not be the students working the timber that has a reaction but the student on the other side of the room