Che'_Moderator Posted April 7, 2007 Report Posted April 7, 2007 Just wondering if anyone here was diagnosed with malignant Mesothelioma, and if so after how much exposure? IE you worked at a brake repair shop for 1 year, 5 years, never. My interested was sparked after reading this study:http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/47/4/325What caught my eye was this snip:Results: Ten cases of MM in brake dust-exposed individuals were males aged 51–73 yr. Nine cases arose in the pleura and one in the peritoneum. Although the median lung asbestos body count (19 AB/g) is at our upper limit of normal (range 0–20 AB/g), half of the cases had levels within our normal range. In every case with elevated asbestos fiber levels by SEM, excess commercial amphibole fibers were also detected. Elevated levels of chrysotile and non-commercial amphibole fibers were detected only in cases that also had increased commercial amphibole fibers. Conclusions: Brake dust contains exceedingly low levels of respirable chrysotile, much of which consists of short fibers subject to rapid pulmonary clearance. Elevated lung levels of commercial amphiboles in some brake workers suggest that unrecognized exposure to these fibers plays a critical role in the development of MM.If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma from some other cause I would be interested in hearing your story too. Second hand accounts are fine as long as they are credible.
97Rwagon Posted April 7, 2007 Report Posted April 7, 2007 I sprayed down my rotors with an air compresser and forgot to cover up my face. Think I should be alright? I have heard of this... brake dust is not friendly to the lung.
Che'_Moderator Posted April 7, 2007 Author Report Posted April 7, 2007 I sprayed down my rotors with an air compresser and forgot to cover up my face. Think I should be alright? I have heard of this... brake dust is not friendly to the lung.What brakes did you have? Did they contain asbestos? Either way I am 100% sure your fine. Your lungs will try to handle it over time. So unless you huff it every day I doubt you have increased chance for lung cancer
97Rwagon Posted April 7, 2007 Report Posted April 7, 2007 Stock calipers, probably generic brakes pads, or a brand from autozone. Drilled rotors. Yea... Im sure most of it went through the rotors anyways.
mikep Posted April 15, 2007 Report Posted April 15, 2007 I started working on cars around 1977, working full time from 1980 until 1995, when I started teaching auto mechanics full time.I constantly had to deal with other mechanics blowing dust around, and with (far worse) some mechanics grinding or filing shoes and pads. We were told that the black dust was not that bad, although any dust is not good.At one point I worked with a guy who had been in the asbestos reclaiming business, so I learned quite a bit about friable fibers, etc.This study shows that the black dust theory was partly true.Also, brake manufacturers have been told to stop using asbestos several times, but then the regulations change with the changing of the guard in politics. Almost all pads are asbestos free now. Many shoes are asbestos free now, too. There is no clear way to tell, but I believe I have seen both "contains asbestos" and "asbestos free" on boxes.Your best bet is to choose metallic or ceramic.For what it's worth, I have lung problems, but they are mostly from hereditary asthma. My main problem is alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. It causes emphysema in non-smokers, and several of my relatives died from emphysema. It also causes cirrhosis, but I quit drinking early enough to avoid that.Don't blow any dust around, wear a particle mask, and party on.
T-5BattleWagon Posted April 15, 2007 Report Posted April 15, 2007 I have worked in shops that ranged from brake work= must have mask to the parts departments not even stocking masks. The theories I have heard about brakes AND clutches range from "your safe, they havent contained asbestos since 19...." all the way to "when you are pulling rims off of a car you should wear a mask". My personal preference is to wear a mask because even if i wont get mesothelioma, brake and clutch dust smells like crap. I also wear a mask during regular brake servicing in my personal garage as well. I would recommend it, but its up to your own discretion.
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