I teach environmental engineering, but not air pollution control. However,
if you go to Google and search using the terms "wood dust health hazards"
you will find more than you probably want to read. You might also go to the
OSHA website, www.osha.gov and the US EPA website, www.epa.gov and use the
same search terms.

Good luck and safe breathing.

Bill






"BCD" wrote in message
...
I am curious how many people out there know of someone who has lung cancer
or some other serious ailment which is suspected to be attributable to his
exposure to wood dust. I suspect the risk level is fairly low.

Don't get me wrong, the stuff is messy, gets into everything, is an
overall pain and can make good finishing work hard to do. I have no desire
to breath quantities of it in (although I do enjoy the smell in the air
after cutting hickory and walnut). Yet, my grandfather ran a woodshop for
30 years (age 40 - 70). It would be generous to call the dust collection
he used as primitive. Generally he went without and just swept up. At this
point he is 80 and has no health problems attributable to it (I know, 1
data point doesn't make any headway toward being a credible study).

Now the craft is mine, and I do keep things orderly. With a well
engineered dust collection system and air purification we can keep things
fairly tidy, but not perfect. There is obviously residual exposure beyond
what is captured - especially around a handheld router, etc.

Any thoughts on the level of risk?