From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 05/01/00-01:47:06 PM Z
On Mon, 1 May 2000, Sil Horwitz wrote:
> At 2000/05/01 12:57 PM -0500, Linda Phillips wrote:
> >The thing about dichromates that make them scarier for me is the fact that
> >they are carcinogenic. I may be wrong about this, but I've always had
> >the understanding that with carcinogens, only ONE MOLECULE is enough to
> >cause cancer, if the conditions are right and your luck is bad.
>
> Drop into any health food store, and you will find (1) chromium is an
> ingredient in all multiple vitamins and minerals, and (2) chromium
> compounds are available in tablets as a dietary supplement, as it is
> difficult to get sufficient quantities in todays sanitized food products.
> All humans need a trace of chromium for healthy living. Disposing of a few
> grams of a chromium compound into a wastewater system may actually be
> improving our health - think of that!
>
> The "carcinogenic" component normally is inhalation of the powder and/or
> ingestion of considerably more than a molecule. If you are running an
> industrial operation using tons of the stuff, then you certainly should
> abide by all the precautionary handling.
Thanks Sil. I received another thoughtful and enlightening commentary
offlist -- on our "hazardous waste" laws, which attempt one-size fits all
on a VERY complex topic. In reply, I cited examples of the times I have to
break the law to make my dwelling habitable.
For example, NYC law says I'm subject to something like $2000 dollar a day
fine if I turn the heat off at night. If I don't, no one in the house can
sleep. (Yes, I have the most expensive, fancy digital heat control made,
but not engineered for a row house -- with party walls on 2 sides, windows
only front & back -- yeah, like a bowling alley -- and ALL of them storm
windowed and/or double & triple glazed.
I like to at least imagine that in cases like this I choose the right
thing and common sense above letter of the law. But even as a *bad*
person, I note this business about ONE MOLECULE ! Hey, there are
carcinogens all around us. EVERYWHERE ! Formaldehyde is a carcinogen, and
it's in EVERYTHING, including plywood and (as I recall) formica. Did you
know that meat broiled on metal produces carcinogens -- like outdoor
barbecue? Hamburgers on the grill? And in photo practice generally,
carcinogens flow like wine. Statistics I've heard are that photographers
have 1/3 higher rate of cancer than regular people -- and that was BEFORE
alt got popular.
Not to mention that old automobile tires have asbestos, as does the "fire
cement" in my (possibly your) ancient cellar ceiling (save me from fire
hazard, give me lung cancer). Actually, it's a scientifically proven fact
that worry about cancer gives you cancer. (Mother love is next test for
carcinogens.)
But how global can we get with this blame gam? After all, city dwellers
with mass transit consume much less carcinogen-producing, global-warming
inducing fossil fuel per capita than country dwellers. And presumably
fewer SUVs per capita, etc. etc. etc.
best,
Judy
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| World Journal of Post-Factory Photography > "HOW-TO and WHY"
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