Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [OM] Lens cleaning (acetone a carcinogen?)

Subject: Re: [OM] Lens cleaning (acetone a carcinogen?)
From: Joe Gwinn <joegwinn@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 14:31:28 -0500
Comment at bottom.

At 5:30 AM +0000 12/1/02, olympus-digest wrote:
>Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2002 10:04:01 -0400
>From: "John Hudson" <13874@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: [OM] Lens cleaning (acetone a carcinogen?)
>
>- ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Joe Gwinn" <joegwinn@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Saturday, 30 November, 2002 11:23 AM
>Subject: Re: [OM] Lens cleaning (acetone a carcinogen?)
>
>
> > At 4:58 AM +0000 11/30/02, olympus-digest wrote:
> > >Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 18:28:01 -0500
> > >From: "John Hermanson" <omtech@xxxxxxxxx>
> > >Subject: Re: [OM] Lens cleaning
> > >
> > >Acetone is a very strong carcinogen, I'd advise switching, Clint.
> >
> > Umm, no.  Acetone (and other ketones) are made by the body.  Some diseases
>are diagnosed by finding the smell of acetone on the breath.
> >
> > Also, the solvent of nail polish and the chief ingredient of nail polish
>remover, used daily by hundreds of millions of women, is acetone.  There
>haven't been too many reports of women dying of cancer of the fingers.
> >
> > The carcinogenic solvents are largely chorinated hydrocarbons, like the
>now-banned carbon tetrachloride.  Some dry cleaning solvents were also
>banned.  Liver cancer is the typical issue with chorinated solvents, just as
>it is with alcoholism.
> >
> > Joe Gwinn
>
>What about trichlorethylene used in very small amounts in well ventilated
>surroundings?

Trichloroethylene (TCE) has in the last few years been reclassified as a class 
2 carcinogen, which means that various exposure-reducing precautions must be 
taken when it is used.  TCE has not been banned from industrial use, but at 
least in the US it may no longer be sold to the general public.  The major 
exposure-causing use is in the vapor degreasing of metals, a process using many 
gallons of solvent in an open-top boiler-condenser rig.  There are millions of 
such rigs, but liver cancer isn't all that common, even among workers exposed 
daily.  Despite all the hysteria  now surrounding the subject

None of the common solvents, even those now known to be carcinogens, are 
dangerous enough to be a problem for incidental users.  Something else will 
kill us first.

Joe Gwinn 


< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz