In one of the threads last week - can't remember which now - I spoke of
working with some big power valves (tubes) in amplifiers that were used to
run a radio relay service around the town where I live. Someone asked if I
had any links to these foot-high beasts with nuts and bolts in, and I said I
would get the type number from my buddy who has still got a couple on a
shelf in his house. Well, turns out that he has kept them so nicely
polished, the numbers have rubbed off ! However, a bit of research has
turned up this

http://www.r-type.org/exhib/aaa0529.htm

complete with the perfect description of the self-same amps that we had
feeding audio out around the town. I remember the mercury vapour reccies
flashing away with the music, and the grid and anode meters. Also, the rack
of additional valves. I seem to remember that the drivers were KT66's or
maybe 88's, but I could be wrong there. The only thing that seemed at odds
with what I remember, is that I'm sure ours were running on a single phase
supply. Our office / workshop was located in a normal 'domestic' pair of
semi-detached houses, knocked through into each other, so it's unlikely that
there was a three phase supply in there. Prior to us moving to those
premises, the amps were located in the window of a small shop which served
as the 'HQ' building. I'm pretty sure that would also not have had a three
phase supply.

I remember also, the old boy who was the chief engineer for the whole
system, telling me that they were the same amps as were used in the Royal
Albert Hall for the inductive loop headphone system. Anyone else had
anything to do with these monster amps ? I wonder if there's still any doing
service anywhere as modulator racks on any remote little backwater AM
stations ... ? :-)

Arfa

On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:50:43 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I'm a power tube lover. I love the
smell of rarefied air around power supplies and tube anodes.

Ummm... that would be the ozone. If you make a habit of ozone
sniffing, you may want to check if you're exhibiting any symptoms:
http://www.epa.gov/03healthtraining/population.html

I love
the fact that you're working with voltages/currents that could
instantly kill you.

When I worked in 2way radio in Smog Angeles, we would kill or
hospitalize at least one technician a year, usually due to high
voltage electrocution. My introduction to the statistics was holding
a grounded metal case microphone in one hand, while probing around
with a long screwdriver in the other hand. That last thing I recall,
before the lights went out, was a brilliant purple glow (caused by a
combination of parasitic oscillations and a gassy tube) in the final
output tube. I later repeated the same mistake several times before I
learned my lesson and purchased a better insulated screwdriver.

My favorite 'tube' has got to be the mercury
rectifier.

Hmmm... sounds like a mild case of mercury poisoning.

I forget what island but one island had AC piped in and for
some reason built this giant MAR. I don't think this was the railway
substation for the Isle of Man although that one built in the 30's is
pretty awsome and still in use.

I haven't had any personal experience with mercury vapor rectifiers.
That may help explain why I'm still alive today.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:50:43 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I'm a power tube lover. I love the
smell of rarefied air around power supplies and tube anodes.

Ummm... that would be the ozone. If you make a habit of ozone
sniffing, you may want to check if you're exhibiting any symptoms:
http://www.epa.gov/03healthtraining/population.html

I love
the fact that you're working with voltages/currents that could
instantly kill you.

When I worked in 2way radio in Smog Angeles, we would kill or
hospitalize at least one technician a year, usually due to high
voltage electrocution. My introduction to the statistics was holding
a grounded metal case microphone in one hand, while probing around
with a long screwdriver in the other hand. That last thing I recall,
before the lights went out, was a brilliant purple glow (caused by a
combination of parasitic oscillations and a gassy tube) in the final
output tube. I later repeated the same mistake several times before I
learned my lesson and purchased a better insulated screwdriver.

My favorite 'tube' has got to be the mercury
rectifier.

Hmmm... sounds like a mild case of mercury poisoning.

I forget what island but one island had AC piped in and for
some reason built this giant MAR. I don't think this was the railway
substation for the Isle of Man although that one built in the 30's is
pretty awsome and still in use.

I haven't had any personal experience with mercury vapor rectifiers.
That may help explain why I'm still alive today.

--
Jeff Liebermann

The mercury vapour rectumfriers that were in the amps, are not quite the
same beasts as 'traditional' mercury arc types, although the rectification
physics is similar, I believe. The MVRs that were in the Philips amp racks
that I referred to, were just like ordinary sized and shaped tubes - KT66ish
sort of size, as I recall. I don't think that they were good for too much
current, but handled the anode voltage for those 212's just fine. I think
that the mercury vapour discharge was self starting.

http://www.uli.de/tubes/866a.htm

The ones I always associate with being true MARs, have a big pool of mercury
in the bottom, and starter electrodes that dip in it, and arc the vapour out
of the mercury to precipitate the main ionisation discharge to the anodes.
When these lovely beasts are running, that ignitor electrode (is that the
right name for it ? - been a long time since college ) dances about on the
top of the mercury pool. Very pretty. The whole bizarre-shaped envelope of
the device lights up purple. MARs are good for both high voltage and high
current I think.

My first experience of them was at my local cinema when I was a kid. I had a
little Saturday morning job 'helping' (!) in the booth. That involved
sweeping up and rewinding reels and so on. Both main machines and the big
slide projector used for static adverts, employed carbon arc lamp houses,
and the DC for them, was fed from a pair of MARs in a big cabinet in the
corner of the booth. A bit like an office double door steel cabinet. They
fascinated me from the time I first set eyes on them, and I'm sure that
they, along with the amplifiers I have been discussing, which I first saw in
the window of the small shop where they were originally housed, set me on
the path to a career in electronics,

Arfa

Meat Plow wrote:
On Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:06:48 +0100, "Arfa Daily"
wrote:

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:50:43 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I'm a power tube lover. I love the
smell of rarefied air around power supplies and tube anodes.
Ummm... that would be the ozone. If you make a habit of ozone
sniffing, you may want to check if you're exhibiting any symptoms:
http://www.epa.gov/03healthtraining/population.html

I love
the fact that you're working with voltages/currents that could
instantly kill you.
When I worked in 2way radio in Smog Angeles, we would kill or
hospitalize at least one technician a year, usually due to high
voltage electrocution. My introduction to the statistics was holding
a grounded metal case microphone in one hand, while probing around
with a long screwdriver in the other hand. That last thing I recall,
before the lights went out, was a brilliant purple glow (caused by a
combination of parasitic oscillations and a gassy tube) in the final
output tube. I later repeated the same mistake several times before I
learned my lesson and purchased a better insulated screwdriver.

My favorite 'tube' has got to be the mercury
rectifier.
Hmmm... sounds like a mild case of mercury poisoning.

I forget what island but one island had AC piped in and for
some reason built this giant MAR. I don't think this was the railway
substation for the Isle of Man although that one built in the 30's is
pretty awsome and still in use.
I haven't had any personal experience with mercury vapor rectifiers.
That may help explain why I'm still alive today.

--
Jeff Liebermann
The mercury vapour rectumfriers that were in the amps, are not quite the
same beasts as 'traditional' mercury arc types, although the rectification
physics is similar, I believe. The MVRs that were in the Philips amp racks
that I referred to, were just like ordinary sized and shaped tubes - KT66ish
sort of size, as I recall. I don't think that they were good for too much
current, but handled the anode voltage for those 212's just fine. I think
that the mercury vapour discharge was self starting.

http://www.uli.de/tubes/866a.htm

The ones I always associate with being true MARs, have a big pool of mercury
in the bottom, and starter electrodes that dip in it, and arc the vapour out
of the mercury to precipitate the main ionisation discharge to the anodes.
When these lovely beasts are running, that ignitor electrode (is that the
right name for it ? - been a long time since college ) dances about on the
top of the mercury pool. Very pretty. The whole bizarre-shaped envelope of
the device lights up purple. MARs are good for both high voltage and high
current I think.

My first experience of them was at my local cinema when I was a kid. I had a
little Saturday morning job 'helping' (!) in the booth. That involved
sweeping up and rewinding reels and so on. Both main machines and the big
slide projector used for static adverts, employed carbon arc lamp houses,
and the DC for them, was fed from a pair of MARs in a big cabinet in the
corner of the booth. A bit like an office double door steel cabinet. They
fascinated me from the time I first set eyes on them, and I'm sure that
they, along with the amplifiers I have been discussing, which I first saw in
the window of the small shop where they were originally housed, set me on
the path to a career in electronics,

Arfa


There is something mystical/magical about watching a large MAR in
action. The largest ever built was in operation until 2004 at the
Nelson River Bipole in Manatoba BC. Wish I could find some video of it
in operation.

Aye, back in my youth - I grew up on a fairground - I was fascinated by
the big mercury rectifiers on some of the rides. I remember the old
French guy who had the dodgems was having trouble with fuses blowing, he
'cured' the problem using the showmans method - a six inch nail. The
eventual result was that the glass of the rectifier cracked around one
of the connections! There was lovely fireworks display inside the bottle.

Ron

Meat Plow wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:50:30 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:50:43 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I'm a power tube lover. I love the
smell of rarefied air around power supplies and tube anodes.
Ummm... that would be the ozone. If you make a habit of ozone
sniffing, you may want to check if you're exhibiting any symptoms:
http://www.epa.gov/03healthtraining/population.html

I have an ozone generator + filter. In the right PPM it's beneficial
to kill airborne disease. Thanks to that thing I haven't suffered a
cold or flu as long as it's been running.

And now just wait for lung cancer to hit you.

"Meat Plow" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:10:13 +0200, Sjouke Burry
wrote:

Meat Plow wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:50:30 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:50:43 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I'm a power tube lover. I love the
smell of rarefied air around power supplies and tube anodes.
Ummm... that would be the ozone. If you make a habit of ozone
sniffing, you may want to check if you're exhibiting any symptoms:
http://www.epa.gov/03healthtraining/population.html

I have an ozone generator + filter. In the right PPM it's beneficial
to kill airborne disease. Thanks to that thing I haven't suffered a
cold or flu as long as it's been running.

And now just wait for lung cancer to hit you.

Ah ok. So ozone causes lung cancer?

We'd best not live by the sea, or anywhere prone to thunderstorms then,
Meat, eh ? :-)

Arfa

Meat Plow wrote:
On Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:10:13 +0200, Sjouke Burry
wrote:

Meat Plow wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:50:30 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:50:43 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I'm a power tube lover. I love the
smell of rarefied air around power supplies and tube anodes.
Ummm... that would be the ozone. If you make a habit of ozone
sniffing, you may want to check if you're exhibiting any symptoms:
http://www.epa.gov/03healthtraining/population.html
I have an ozone generator + filter. In the right PPM it's beneficial
to kill airborne disease. Thanks to that thing I haven't suffered a
cold or flu as long as it's been running.
And now just wait for lung cancer to hit you.

Ah ok. So ozone causes lung cancer?
Ozon is one of the most aggressive gases there is.
If any of that reaches your dna inside your lungs, bad things happen.
It is no accident that bugs are killed by ozon.
And damage is proportional to exposure.
The occasional thunderstorm wont harm you.
But the air fresheners going 24/7, will.

On Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:53:50 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

On Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:10:13 +0200, Sjouke Burry
wrote:

Meat Plow wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:50:30 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:50:43 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I'm a power tube lover. I love the
smell of rarefied air around power supplies and tube anodes.
Ummm... that would be the ozone. If you make a habit of ozone
sniffing, you may want to check if you're exhibiting any symptoms:
http://www.epa.gov/03healthtraining/population.html

I have an ozone generator + filter. In the right PPM it's beneficial
to kill airborne disease. Thanks to that thing I haven't suffered a
cold or flu as long as it's been running.

And now just wait for lung cancer to hit you.

Ah ok. So ozone causes lung cancer?

I don't think there's a cancer link quite yet. However, breathing
ozone causes some rather nasty pulmonary irritation:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
There are also hints that it has secondary cardiovascular effects:
http://ajplung.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/297/2/L209
and DNA damage:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15923135

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

In message , Arfa Daily
writes
Ah ok. So ozone causes lung cancer?

We'd best not live by the sea,
Not ozone.
or anywhere prone to thunderstorms then,
Meat, eh ? :-)

Or have a laser printer under your desk..
Arfa



--
Clint Sharp

Jeff Liebermann wrote in message
...
On Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:53:50 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

On Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:10:13 +0200, Sjouke Burry
wrote:

Meat Plow wrote:
On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:50:30 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:50:43 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I'm a power tube lover. I love the
smell of rarefied air around power supplies and tube anodes.
Ummm... that would be the ozone. If you make a habit of ozone
sniffing, you may want to check if you're exhibiting any symptoms:
http://www.epa.gov/03healthtraining/population.html

I have an ozone generator + filter. In the right PPM it's beneficial
to kill airborne disease. Thanks to that thing I haven't suffered a
cold or flu as long as it's been running.

And now just wait for lung cancer to hit you.

Ah ok. So ozone causes lung cancer?

I don't think there's a cancer link quite yet. However, breathing
ozone causes some rather nasty pulmonary irritation:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
There are also hints that it has secondary cardiovascular effects:
http://ajplung.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/297/2/L209
and DNA damage:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15923135

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558


My mummy never told me it was dangerous breathing in all that ozone, after
playing with my electric train set for hours and filling the room with that
distinctive arcing and sparking smell.

--
Diverse Devices, Southampton, England
electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on
http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/

"Clint Sharp" wrote in message
...
In message , Arfa Daily
writes
Ah ok. So ozone causes lung cancer?

We'd best not live by the sea,
Not ozone.

Ah ! A subscriber to the dimethyl sulphide explanation then ... Well, that's
ok. They'll all kill you in the end. Just like anything you eat or drink or
do from the moment you wake up, to the moment you go to sleep again (and
probably whilst you're asleep as well ... ) d;~}

Arfa

On Sat, 01 Aug 2009 08:39:34 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

I don't think there's a cancer link quite yet. However, breathing
ozone causes some rather nasty pulmonary irritation:
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
There are also hints that it has secondary cardiovascular effects:
http://ajplung.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/297/2/L209
and DNA damage:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15923135

My DNA is already damaged.

I've noticed. Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your kids.

There seems to be some disagreement as to whether ozone is an oxidizer
or antioxidant as well its medical effects:
http://www.majidali.com/ozoneis.htm
To the best of my limited knowledge, ozone generators are used in
hospitals as sterilizers to kill bacteria, not as some manner of
therapy.

Personally, I don't think ozone is a problem except for some oddities
I've observed:
1. Anything made of rubber in the area of the ozone generator tends
to crumble. Flexible rubber compounds seem to be the most affected
(power cords, rubber bands, phone cords, etc). If they don't crumble,
they tend to stiffen.
2. The cylindrical generators with the piece of copper wool on top
have a substantial electron charge. Electronics in the area sometimes
blow up trying to dump all the electrons. I have a customer that
insists on using one near his laptop, which has self destructed
several times over the years. Same with his mouse, keyboard, and
speakers. I can wave an NE-2 neon lamp around his work area and
sometimes get it to light up (when the humidity is low).
3. I've seen a slight increase in corrosion in areas around negative
ion generators and electrostatic precipitators.
S + H2O + O3 - H2SO4
I'm not sure, but I've had to use contact cleaner on the
aforementioned customers video and audio hardware and have had some
minor connector issues. It might be my imagination.

Anyway, ozone reacts with organic compounds to produce free radicals,
which are generally considered a bad thing. If you find your
political position tending towards the radical, you might reduce your
ozone concentration.

Meanwhile, go easy on the Jacobs Ladder mad scientist special effects.
The spark generates plenty of UV, which breaks down O2 which then
recombines to form ozone.

I've sometimes wondered if the popularity of negative ion generators
is a plot by the diode and capacitor manufactories to dramatic
increase sales. Lots of diodes and cazapitors inside:
http://users.otenet.gr/~athsam/air_ionizer.htm

Also, don't go near the water:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_generator
"A common British folk myth dating back to the Victorian era holds
that the smell of the sea is caused by ozone, and that this smell has
"bracing" health benefits. Neither of these is true. The
characteristic "smell of the sea" is not caused by ozone but by the
presence of dimethyl sulfide generated by phytoplankton, and dimethyl
sulfide, like ozone, is toxic in high concentrations."

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

In message , Meat Plow
writes
Or like I do, drink coffee in the morning,
Not sure the stuff I drink qualifies as coffee, it has caffeine but....
have a cigarette,
Don't do that anymore, was waking up feeling rotten too often.
go for a
ride on my Harley without a helmet and get sunburned.
If only, I'd get pulled over in 5 minutes if I attempted to ride a bike
with no helmet.
I do put a 60spf
sun block on my nose though, easy to get squamous cell carcinoma
there.

--
Clint Sharp

On Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:12:13 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

Good post and I agree.

Something must be wrong. Nobody thanks me or ever agrees with me.

One thing tho and it isn't much proof is that
one of my brother in laws spent his entire working life inside a
furnace room with huge arc furnaces. Certainly the ozone levels
were off the chart but he is in his mid 50's and is the picture of
health. In my case I'm not going to worry about it. If the cigs don't
kill me something else will and at this point I really don't give a
****.

Well, that's one way to get a good suntan. However electric arc
furnaces don't generate as much ozone as you might suspect:
http://www.diagnosisp.com/dp/journals/view_pdf.php?journal_id=1&archive=0&issue_id=3&art icle_id=65
(I've only skimmed the article). It concludes:
- Human toxicity potential of electric arc furnace is
only 22% from that of cupola furnace;
- Electric arc furnace has no global warming potential;
My guess(tm) is that's because it's the UV that breaks the molecular
oxygen bonds. The UV is either submerged, or the atmosphere in the
electric arc furnace is lacking in sufficient oxygen to create an
ozone problem.

Also, I was the picture of health until I turned 52. Then, bad
genetics, youthful folly, battle damage, and bad luck all struck at
one time. The problem with healthy people is that they don't go
looking for problems. The typical medical checkup doesn't work.
Usually the doctor asks "Is anything wrong"? If the answer is
nothing, he just schedules another appointment for next year. No
tests are run, no diagnostics, no preventive medicine, no fishing
expedition, and certainly nothing that an insurance company would
disallow are performed. It's like electronics with the bulging
electrolytic capacitors. The device works just fine, until all the
caps short out. You could predict the failure by just opening the
case and looking for bulging capacitors, but who tears apart working
electronics looking for problems? (Hint: I do, sometimes).

The current high-fashion medical theory is that heredity and genetics
have a huge effect on ones susceptibility to a wide range of maladies
and diseases. One of the proposed applications of gene sequencing and
genetic testing is to determine whether someone is prone to everything
from hang nail to heart disease. One could be denied a job or
promotion on such a basis. The list of genetically testable potential
problems grows ever day. One result is that a group of normal
workers, exposed to various hazardous chemicals, such as ozone, might
have a wide range of possible long term reactions. The short term
reactions are probably uniform, but the long term exposure effects
probably varies substantially. Your brother in law might be one of
the lucky ones. (Choose your parents wisely). Natural selection also
works in the workplace. Those still working are the survivors. The
rest are dead, sick, or promoted to safer management positions.

In other words, don't assume that just because long term ozone
exposure hasn't affected your brother in law, that you're safe. If
your genetics is lacking, your could be at risk. It may be many years
before gene testing has progressed to the point where susceptibility
to chemical exposure can be predicted. Even so, I'm not sure any of
us really want to know if we're going to catch some disgusting disease
in the distant future.

As for cigarettes, my father's former partner incinerated several
packs per day of unfiltered cancer sticks all his life. He died at
age 78 from a fall. No heart, lung, or other problems. On the other
hand, my mother smoked all her life, tried to quit many times, and
died at age 52 from a heart attack. Which anecdote would you consider
appropriate? (Hint: I don't smoke).

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Meat Plow" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:10:16 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:12:13 -0400, Meat Plow
wrote:

Good post and I agree.

Something must be wrong. Nobody thanks me or ever agrees with me.

One thing tho and it isn't much proof is that
one of my brother in laws spent his entire working life inside a
furnace room with huge arc furnaces. Certainly the ozone levels
were off the chart but he is in his mid 50's and is the picture of
health. In my case I'm not going to worry about it. If the cigs don't
kill me something else will and at this point I really don't give a
****.

Well, that's one way to get a good suntan. However electric arc
furnaces don't generate as much ozone as you might suspect:
http://www.diagnosisp.com/dp/journals/view_pdf.php?journal_id=1&archive=0&issue_id=3&art icle_id=65
(I've only skimmed the article). It concludes:
- Human toxicity potential of electric arc furnace is
only 22% from that of cupola furnace;
- Electric arc furnace has no global warming potential;
My guess(tm) is that's because it's the UV that breaks the molecular
oxygen bonds. The UV is either submerged, or the atmosphere in the
electric arc furnace is lacking in sufficient oxygen to create an
ozone problem.

Also, I was the picture of health until I turned 52. Then, bad
genetics, youthful folly, battle damage, and bad luck all struck at
one time. The problem with healthy people is that they don't go
looking for problems. The typical medical checkup doesn't work.
Usually the doctor asks "Is anything wrong"? If the answer is
nothing, he just schedules another appointment for next year. No
tests are run, no diagnostics, no preventive medicine, no fishing
expedition, and certainly nothing that an insurance company would
disallow are performed. It's like electronics with the bulging
electrolytic capacitors. The device works just fine, until all the
caps short out. You could predict the failure by just opening the
case and looking for bulging capacitors, but who tears apart working
electronics looking for problems? (Hint: I do, sometimes).

The current high-fashion medical theory is that heredity and genetics
have a huge effect on ones susceptibility to a wide range of maladies
and diseases. One of the proposed applications of gene sequencing and
genetic testing is to determine whether someone is prone to everything
from hang nail to heart disease. One could be denied a job or
promotion on such a basis. The list of genetically testable potential
problems grows ever day. One result is that a group of normal
workers, exposed to various hazardous chemicals, such as ozone, might
have a wide range of possible long term reactions. The short term
reactions are probably uniform, but the long term exposure effects
probably varies substantially. Your brother in law might be one of
the lucky ones. (Choose your parents wisely). Natural selection also
works in the workplace. Those still working are the survivors. The
rest are dead, sick, or promoted to safer management positions.

In other words, don't assume that just because long term ozone
exposure hasn't affected your brother in law, that you're safe. If
your genetics is lacking, your could be at risk. It may be many years
before gene testing has progressed to the point where susceptibility
to chemical exposure can be predicted. Even so, I'm not sure any of
us really want to know if we're going to catch some disgusting disease
in the distant future.

As for cigarettes, my father's former partner incinerated several
packs per day of unfiltered cancer sticks all his life. He died at
age 78 from a fall. No heart, lung, or other problems. On the other
hand, my mother smoked all her life, tried to quit many times, and
died at age 52 from a heart attack. Which anecdote would you consider
appropriate? (Hint: I don't smoke).

My dad smoked on and off (more on than off) all his life. He would
quit when one of his friends died of cancer then start again. He
finally died in 2004 of stomach cancer but ten years earlier had
beaten colon cancer. I don't attribute those lymphomas to smoking but
rather to his love of nitrate/nitrite soaked ham/baked ham etc... I
try to stear away from that evil stuff when possible.

You just can't tell really, can you ? My dad also beat colon cancer, and
went on to die 13 years later of stomach cancer, and he never smoked a
single cigarette all his life. I can't think of any particular foods that he
was especially fond of either, which are known to have any carcinogenic
connections. In fact I would have said that overall, he ate fairly
healthily. I think in a lot of cases, you are just genetically predisposed
to these diseases.

Arfa