I used to wash car parts with gasoline, no gloves, and wire brush occasionally scraping my hands as I cleaned the parts.
I had my hand in a hydraulic oil tank for nearly 45 minutes trying to get the filter out that someone had overtightened. My arm was red and covered with tiny zit like bumps for a few days.
I grabbed many fish and other biological specimens directly from the formalin preservative buckets with bare hands before it was established it probably isn't a good thing to do.
Painted in enclosed places with spray paint, used brake cleaner spray on older brake parts that likely had asbestos linings, love the smell of gasoline and would stand where I could smell it when pumping gas, drank alcoholic beverages ( basically a solvent) while chewing and smoking tobacco products, have been exposed to Chloramine T and iodine at places I worked along with many other "everyday chemicals". I could probably think of many more.
I kinda think prairie creek station is working along the right lines here. I try to avoid too many rolls of the dice nowadays, having survived a renal cell carcinoma (one of my body's filters, dealing with all that stuff I've been exposed to.
Did any (or any combination?) of that stuff "cause" my cancer? Who the heck knows.
I wear gloves now when handling used motor oil, automotive chemicals, "roundup" when I have occasionally had to use it ( I HATE puncture vine) but I use a weed burner when and where I can, use borax instead of Raid for ants, soap for whiteflies and aphids, and take other measures to avoid using "chemicals" when I can.
DDT was once considered safe for personal use. I'm kinda glad they took off the market in the US of A. Even when there are days here I'd love to spray the yard with it for the f'n skeeters.
Long term, no-one knows the real effects of most of the stuff used nowadays. Our cohort's grandkids might find out.
Geno
PS lead and mercury used to be considered "harmless" mostly. Played with that stuff some too.Don't anymore.
PPS and let's not forget Homeowner Harry and his use of yard chems. if an ounce per gallon works, 4 ounces works more better. And if a gallon is 'sposed to cover 1000 sf, well I'll use two. Then it even works betterer.
