Talk:Pneumoconiosis

Is that stuff about black beans real? Or am I just an idiot who got duped. - kaliyarivet

doesn't the lung have mucous and cilia to remove particles like this? - Omegatron 15:17, Jun 8, 2005 (UTC)

Yes, but fine particles do get deposited in the lungs all the time. Particles such as silica dust and asbestos fibers that cannot be removed by the macrophages can cause respiratory diseases. Hfwd 23:39, 22 November 2005 (UTC)

The small particulate matter under 2.5 micrometers in size is not removed by the body, and accumulate over time. Some other sources of this dust include wood dust from woodworking or construction activity, and fiberglass that breaks off of loose or batt fiberglass insulation. Some this dust is large enough to be visible to the naked eye, but some of it is too small to see and is missed by filters. Most air filtration systems and vacuum cleaners are unable to trap much of that dust, and end up pumping more of the dust through the house, unless HEPA filters are used. That this dust will eventually cause respiratory illness is generally agreed by workplace regulatory agencies in the US (OSHA) and Europe. See this source: [1]:

Research shows that exposure to airborne dust affects our health in different ways. The larger airborne dust particles cause skin irritation and rashes, make us sneeze and cough and leave us with watery eyes and runny noses. Continued excessive airborne dust exposure leads to deeper coughs, sinus infections, and lung infections followed by permanent lung damage, emphysema, and worse. Additionally, many dusts such as airborne wood dust contain toxic chemicals that can increase irritation, promote infections, poison us, cause permanent nerve damage, cause us to build up potentially life threatening allergies, and increase our risk of cancer. Before working with any wood we should consult a good wood toxicity table such as [2].

Additionally, some fine particles such as fiberglass, asbestos, and fine invisible wood contain sharp barbed particles. Our bodies do a pretty good job of getting rid of the larger visible particles, but these invisible particles sized under 10-microns, roughly one seventh the thickness of a human hair slip right past our natural protections. The sharp barbed particles then get stuck in our tissues causing damage leading to scaring and long term respiratory capacity loss. These trapped particles also continue to release toxic chemicals long after the exposure ends. Over time this damage builds and our immune systems weaken with age. Like smoking, many woodworkers and others exposed to fine dust will never show worse symptoms, but most develop significant loss in overall respiratory capacity, about one in seven develops serious allergic reactions, and others more severe reactions that lead to eye, ear, nose, throat, respiratory, and skin problems.

76.20.53.8 (talk) 03:43, 29 December 2008 (UTC)Bill Pentz--76.20.53.8 (talk) 03:43, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

Luciuskwok 00:13, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

"Research shows the most long term health problems come from exposure to airborne dust." That's crap. :-) The most common long-term health problems, like heart disease, cancers, diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome and Alzheimer's have nothing to do with airborne dust. The only common health problem that I can think of that has something to do with dust is asthma, and it might not even be caused by dust (one problem with that is why asthma rates are increasing in areas where the air pollution has decreased). I believe that the person made that statement to sell products that are supposed to reduce airborne dust. He has a big advertisement for one product (they thank him on their website and recommend that people visit his website) and he sells ad space for woodworking products.

People have made similar claims for many other things. For example, people might say that undigested food that stays in your intestines is the number one cause of disease (they call it intestinal plaque, but it does not really exist according to surgeons and coroners). Then they'll sell you some clay that expands inside you when it gets wet. Then you'll have what is probably the most painful bowel movement of your life and think that the black stuff is toxins when it is really the expanded clay. Other people might say that household mold, processed food, lead paint or carbohydrates is the biggest cause of health problems, but it is all nonsense. -- Kjkolb 13:51, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

"Means exactly the same"?

The following statement is not quite true:

The term "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis" was coined in 1935 as the putative longest word in the English language, but means exactly the same as pneumoconiosis

According to the pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis page, the meanings are slightly different; the longer word is specifically used for a pneumoconiosis due to a volcano. I removed the section, but if someone wants to re-word it to make it more accurate, please go ahead. Alki 16:30, 24 May 2007 (UTC)

Additionally the above also wrongly identified me as someone selling a product. In 1999 I shared my improved cyclone design with building instructions on the Internet. Thousands of woodworkers world wide now use cyclones of my design. Five years after I shared that design I added an advertisement for a firm that builds a clear version of my cyclone. They pay me a small advertizing commission on sales which helps support my efforts, but saying that my efforts were built to or even now just sell a product is more of the same kind of nonsense that the vendor community keeps putting out about their actual airflows, separation ability, and personal protection offered by their cyclones and dust collectors. Those who have been buying the portable particle counters have near universally realized that residual fine dust is a bigger problem than our exposures when making fine dust. Anyhow, just wanted to set the record straight. --76.20.53.8 (talk) 03:43, 29 December 2008 (UTC)Bill Pentz03:43, 29 December 2008 (UTC)~

I propose that the page Dust Pneumonia should be deleted and reference to Dust Pneumonia as a common misnomer for Dust Bowl pneumoconiosis should be added to this page. I am a total Wiki newb and don't know how to go about it, though. Help, please?JLA87 (talk) 13:14, 13 March 2011 (UTC)

"In addition, it has been speculated that astronauts subject to prolonged exposure to lunar dust..."

I speculate that any as yet unencountered particulates may cause forms of pneumoconiosis. Hardly encyclopaedic though. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gowt (talk • contribs) 02:13, 20 April 2011 (UTC)