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A booklet on safe dust control, dust collection, dust protection, and toxicity. Dust - The Overlooked Hazard of

One would venture to guess that in all, the biggest threat to a woodworker comes not in the form of bodily injury from a power , but from wood dust. Not to overlook or minimize the importance of hearing, eye, and overall physical safety when dealing with power , it is the small stuff—the tiny and easily overlooked wood dust particles—that can cause the most long-term damage.

So, just how does wood dust affect a woodworker?

Long-Term Damage: Forget about the large chips and visible : perhaps the most damaging element is the invisible fine dust (sometimes called “coarse inhalable particles” ranging from 2-10 microns). Basically, these tiny bits of sawdust around the air and linger even after the tools have stopped running. These invisible particles get inhaled and cause tiny wounds and scarring to our lungs: each time this happens, it causes a very small amount of irreversible damage. The immediate effect is unnoticeable, but over long periods of time, this can result in significantly decreased lung capacity, and a number of other health issues.

Irritants: The most common way that wood dust affects a woodworker is by being an irritant. This simply means that it can irritate our skin, our eyes, and our lungs. This can mean reactions such as itching, sneezing, coughing, runny nose, rashes, and asthma-like breathing problems.

Sensitizers: Taking things a step beyond being just irritating, some can make us more and more sensitive upon each successive exposure. So even if you don’t experience any sort of allergic reaction to the wood or its dust upon first exposure, each time you breathe the dust or handle the wood. Sometimes the eventual reaction can be quite strong, resulting in rashes or boils, severe sinus or respiratory pain/inflammation, or a number of other conditions depending on the wood species.

Toxins: Not nearly as common, some wood is considered to be directly toxic. One example of this is Yew, which even according to ancient Roman knowledge, was capable of causing fatality in certain cases. (See the introduction of the article, Wood Allergies and Toxicity below.)

Carcinogens: If you look at the toxicity chart of wood species, you’ll notice that some species have been shown to cause NPC. That is, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, or nasopharyngeal cancer.

Now that we’ve seen the health detriments to inhaling and being exposed to wood dust, we’ll look at some of the ways that we can minimize risk and reduce the likelihood of having a serious health reaction.

To see a complete list of all the wood species, along with the most commonly reported reactions to their wood dust, see the Wood Toxicity and Allergen Chart on pages 6 - 14.

Safety Measures

Different safety measures can be employed depending on what tool you’re using, and what procedure is being done on the wood. (For instance, resawing an 8″ tall board on a will create a lot more dust than simply ripping it at 1″ thickness.) So, since there are a variety of operations that can be done, there are also a variety of protective measures.

I’ll start with the easiest and most common, the ones that can be used in any situation: 2 Dust mask: Available at a variety of hardware stores, these masks are just disposable cloth with an elastic band. Some of the better ones have an exhalation valve on the front. They’re better than nothing, but the serious woodworker would probably do best to find a solution that is more efficient and form-fitting than these disposable products. In stock at Edensaw Woods.

Respirator: A step up from a simple dust mask is a respirator. These filter airborne particles with fairly good efficiency, and have replaceable filter pad(s) that can be swapped out when they get clogged, saving money in the long run.One advantage that these units have over their disposable counterparts is that they are made of flexible rubber, which forms a much better seal than cloth/paper masks. There are also larger models and/or optional filter pads that use charcoal to also filter out solvents and other chemicals. These cartridge respirators are a great choice when applying wood finishes in enclosed areas, especially during winter months when ventilation can be difficult. In stock at Edensaw Woods.

Powered Respirators: Taking this personal protection one step further, there are also powered respirators which enclose your entire head and actively pump fresh air in/out of the mask. These units offer the ultimate in wood dust protection, and are well-suited for those with extreme wood allergies. Easily special ordered at Edensaw Woods!

Air filter: Another all-around useful item to have in your shop is an air filter. These are typically ceiling-mounted units that run while you are working in your shop, and collect airborne dust particles with minimal intrusion or hassle. Air filters most commonly will use furnace filters for the pre-filter, with an array of felt-like bag filters on the inside. Depending on how fine of a dust you’d like to filter, you can buy HEPA furnace filters for the pre-filter (though this can slow down the overall CFM through the filter), or washable/reusable filters, or even charcoal filters to remove organic vapor from the air. Yet despite the versatility and convenience of using an air filter, it certainly shouldn’t be relied upon as a woodworker’s only line of defense against wood dust. It should instead be viewed as a backup: helping in the background while you minimize your exposure to dust in the first place. In stock at Edensaw Woods.

Air exhaust: Despite all of helpfulness of the previous items, one of the very best ways you can protect yourself from wood dust is to blow it out of your shop. Just because you can’t see any dust doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t any particles left in the air. You may think the coast is clear, and take off your dust mask, but there’s probably a host of very fine wood particles still floating around in the air: soon to be in your lungs. This is where an exhaust fan can come in handy. Instead of using so many resources, expensive filters, masks, etc., sometimes the very best thing is to get a breath of fresh air, and exhaust the old, dusty, polluted air out of your shop. Easily special ordered at Edensaw Woods!

3 Tool/Job-Specific Safety Measures

Dust collector: A tool in every serious wood shop. They usually use 4″ dust collection hose, and will filter large chips and dust from a variety of woodworking machines. The beauty of a dust collector is that they are designed to create a lot of CFMs of suction, and unlike shop vacs which use a small internal filter, dust collectors use a giant bag (or a canister) and almost never lose any suction with continued use. You can also outfit your dust collector with an upper felt bag to increase the efficiency of collecting smaller dust particles: a feature that is very helpful when using a collector on a drum which creates finer dust. In stock at Edensaw Woods.

Cyclone Separator: Another option on the opposite side of the spectrum, (that is, if you are creating a lot of large wood chips/shavings as from a planer or ), is to use a cyclone separator with your dust collector. This is essentially a giant vortex-shaped pre-filter piece that allows larger chunks of wood to drop and fall into a trash can or other large container: prolonging the life of the dust collector’s bag and greatly reducing the frequency that you have to empty it. Bill Pentz has written and studied wood dust safety and cyclone dust collectors extensively, and is his website is a recommended resource for those wanting a thorough defense against wood dust. Common tools that are typically used with a dust collector include: tablesaw, jointer, planer, downdraft table, drum sander, and bandsaw. As you can see, most shops would be quite messy if a dust collector wasn’t in regular use! Easily special ordered at Edensaw Woods!

Downdraft table: This is simply a specialized table/platform where sanding or other shaping operations can be done almost dust-free. The table is full of holes or slots, and a vacuum or dust collector is attached, creating a continuous downward suction on the table. There are also stand-alone downdraft tables that have a built-in motor which can be used for industrial types of situations. Easily special ordered at Edensaw Woods!

Vacuum/direct dust extraction: The last option is to connect a vacuum to a specific tool. This is usually done with a hose adapter of some sort, and the vacuum is only switched on when the tool is running. Some vacs have an auto-on feature to work with a sander or other small tool to kick on when the tool is switch on. In most instances, the tool is actually plugged directly into the vacuum. One advantage to this method is that it can be very precise, so that even though only a moderate amount of suction is created with the vac, it is in just the right place for optimum dust extraction. Vacuums are typically used with miter , , and other small handheld tools that have a dust port. If you don’t have an auto-start vacuum, one useful tool that can perform the same function is called the i-Socket. What this small device does is plug into any standard electrical outlet, and has two plug-in sockets: one for a tool, and another for the vacuum. It then will sense when the tool is turned on, and automatically turn on the vacuum as well. It also leaves the vacuum on for a few seconds after the tool has been switched off to help clear any lingering dust from the hose. In stock at Edensaw Woods.

4 Not to omit any one of them, the yew is similar to these other trees in general appearance . . . It is an ascertained fact that travelers’ vessels, made in Gaul of this wood, for the purpose of holding wine, have caused the death of those who used them.”

–Pliny the Elder, from Naturalis Historia, ca. 77 AD

Looking at the above quotation, (taken from a writing nearly two thousand years old), ought to bring—at the very least—a small bit of respect and attention to the matter of safety as it pertains to wood toxicity. If this subject has been known and reported as “ascertained fact” since ancient history, how much more ought we to take heed in modern times, considering that we have so many more well-developed means of communication and testing?

Wood Toxicity and Allergen Chart

On the next page you’ll find a chart of various wood species, along with their reported effects and properties. The information on this chart has been compiled from many sources, with references given at the bottom. When viewing the chart, please keep the follow in mind:

Just because any given wood is not listed on the chart, does not mean that it is completely safe to use. It simply means that adverse reactions have not been reported as of yet. (The wood may be very obscure or unknown.) One helpful thing to do if you have confirmed that you’re allergic to a specific species of wood, is to check for related species (listed at the end of each wood profile page). Many times, a wood in a particular genus will share similar allergic compounds with other related woods, resulting in cross-reactions.) For example, Cocobolo is in the genus, and is also closely related to other woods such as Kingwood, Tulipwood, Honduran , etc. Also, you may notice two wood types that sound like they’re related, such as Black Cherry (Prunus genus) and Brazilian Cherry (Hymenaea genus), but they are actually quite unrelated.

All inhaled wood dust is hazardous to your long-term health. This chart simply lists specific woods that can aggravate symptoms through allergic reactions, or woods that are outright toxic in and of themselves. However, all woods produce fine dust when worked, which in turn can damage your lungs and cause a number of other adverse health reactions. (This particular health issue—and the unhealthy buildup of such dusts in small woodworking or hobbyist shops— has been dealt with at length on Bill Pentz’ website.)

A common question: is this wood safe to use as a plate/bowl/cutting board/etc.? Despite the very long list of woods below, very few woods are actually toxic in and of themselves. But what a great number of woods do have the potential to do is cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. This risk for finished wood projects is greatly lessened (but not eliminated) with the application of a food-safe finish. In the end, using almost any wood is a calculated risk, and the question boils down to this: how much of a potential risk am I comfortable with? 1 in 10? 1 in 1,000? 1 in 1,000,000?

Wood Toxicity and How to Protect Yourself. Woodworkers need to take precautions against dust when working with any , whether the wood is domestic or exotic. Wood dust is no good for your lungs or eyes, and some wood dust can also react with your body. Possible reactions include skin rashes, watery eyes, respiratory problems, headaches, dizziness, or nausea. The degree and type of reaction depends on an individual’s susceptibility to certain allergies, as well as the concentration of dust and the amount of time exposed to dust. The same reactions from person to person are not always a certainty.

5 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

Abura irritant, nausea, and giddiness

African Blackwood irritant, sensitizer

African Boxwood irritant, headache, asthma

irritant, nervous system effects, asthma, Afrormosia splinters go septic

Afzelia irritant, sneezing

Agba irritant

Ailanthus irritant

irritant, nausea, pink eye, giddiness, nose Albizia bleeds

Alder (Alnus genus) irritant

Alligator irritant

Alpine Ash irritant

Amboyna irritant, asthma

Andiroba irritant, sneezing

Araracanga irritant, asthma

Ash (Fraxinus genus) irritant

Ash, Mountain irritant

Australian Blackwood irritant, sensitizer, asthma

Australian Cashew Nut irritant, skin lesions, nosebleeds

Avodire irritant, nose bleeds, internal bleeding, asthma

Balsa irritant

Bamboo irritant

Birch (Betula genus) irritant, sensitizer, nausea

Black Cherry wheezing, giddiness

Black Locust irritant, nausea

Blackbean irritant

Bloodwood irritant, excessive thirst, salivation, nausea

Bloodwood, Red (Australian) irritant

6 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

Blue Gum irritant

Blue Mahoe sneezing

cross reactions possible once sensitivity to Bocote other woods have developed

Bosse irritant, sensitizer, asthma, nausea, headache

Box, White irritant, rash

Boxwood irritant, sensitizer

irritant, headache, nausea, swelling skin, Brazilwood blisters

Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) irritant

Brownheart irritant

Bubinga irritant, lesions

Buckthorn irritant, sap can cause dermatitis

Bulletwood irritant

Camphor irritant, asthma, headaches, giddiness

Cashew irritant, sensitizer

Catalpa irritant

Cedar, Alaskan Yellow irritant

Cedar, Aromatic Red irritant

Cedar, Atlantic White irritant

irritant, asthma, migraine, giddiness, Cedar, Australian Red bronchitis, stomach cramps, NPC (rare)

Cedar, Incense irritant, rashes

Cedar of Lebanon irritant, asthma, respiratory disorders

Cedar, Northern White irritant, asthma

irritant, runny nose, asthma, kidney problems Cedar, Port Orford (diuresis)

Cedar, Spanish irritant

Cedar, Southern Red irritant

irritant, sensitizer, asthma, nervous system Cedar, Western Red effects, NPC (rare) 7 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

Chechen irritant, sensitizer

Chestnut, Chinese (Castanea irritant mollissima)

Chestnut, Sweet irritant, sensitizer

Chico Zapote irritant (nasal)

Chinaberry irritant, headaches

Cocobolo irritant, sensitizer, nausea, asthma, pink eye

Cocuswood irritant

Coolibah irritant

Copaia irritant

Crow’s Ash irritant

Cuban irritant

Cypress sensitizer

irritant, asthma, swelling of eyelids, boils, NPC Cypress, Australian (rare)

Cypress, Gowen irritant

Cypress, Leyland irritant

Cypress, Mediterranean irritant, rashes, headaches

Cypress, Mexican irritant

Cypress, Monterey irritant

Dahoma irritant, sensitizer

Dead Finish (Acacia irritant, splinters go septic tetragonophylla)

Djohar irritant, skin discoloration, keratitis

Douglas- irritant, giddiness, splinters go septic, nausea

Ebony (Diospyros genus) irritant, sensitizer, pink eye

Ebony, Brown irritant

Ebony, Macassar irritant, sensitizer

Ekki irritant

8 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

Elm (Ulmus genus) irritant, sensitizer, NPC (rare)

European irritant, sensitizer, NPC (rare)

Eyoum irritant

Fir (Abies genus) irritant

Fir, Balsam irritant

Freijo irritant, sensitizer, dryness/thirst

Garapa irritant

Gedu Nohor irritant

Goncalo Alves sensitizer

Grasstree irritant

sensitizer, wheezing, splinters go septic, Greenheart cardiac and intestinal disorders

Guanacaste irritant

Gum, Lemon-Scented irritant

Gum, Spotted irritant, rashes

Gum, Yellow irritant

Hackberry irritant

Hemlock, Eastern irritant

Hemlock, Mountain irritant

Hemlock, Western irritant, NPC (rare)

Hophornbeam irritant

Hornbeam (Carpinus genus) irritant

Idigbo irritant

Imbuia irritant

Indian Beech irritant

Indian Laurel irritant

Ipe irritant, headache, asthma, vision effects

irritant, sensitizer, asthma, boils, giddiness,

Iroko HP

9 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

Ironwood, Desert irritant, sneezing, coughing

Jacareuba irritant, fainting, insomnia, kidney damage

Jarrah irritant

Jatoba irritant

Jelutong irritant

Juniper, Phoenician (Juniperus irritant, headache, nausea phoenicea)

Karri irritant

Katalox irritant

Keruing irritant

Kingwood irritant, sensitizer, pink eye

Koto irritant

constitutional effects (nausea, vomiting, N/A Laburnum headaches); direct toxin

Lacewood irritant

Larch (Larix genus) irritant, hives, lesions

Leadwood (Combretum genus) irritant

Lebbeck irritant

Lignum Vitae irritant

irritant, hives, splinters go septic, asthma, Limba bleeding of the nose and gums

Machiche irritant

Magnolia (Magnolia genus) asthma, runny nose

Mahogany, African irritant, sensitizer, NPC (rare)

irritant, sensitizer, boils, nausea, giddiness, Mahogany, Honduran asthma, HP

Mahogany, Santos irritant

irritant, nausea, headache, giddiness, nervous Makore system and blood effects

Mango irritant

10 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

irritant, sensitizer, nausea, sneezing, Mansonia headaches, nosebleeds, splinters go septic, asthma, giddiness, cardiac disorders

irritant, sensitizer, asthma; HP in spalted (Acer genus) maple

Maple, Queensland irritant

Marupa irritant

Meranti ( genus) irritant

Merbau irritant

Mesquite (Prosopis genus) irritant

Messmate irritant, asthma

sap is poisonous, causes irritation to eyes Milky Mangrove and/or temporary blindness, headache, burning of throat, blistering of skin

Mimosa irritant

irritant, headache, giddiness, nausea, Missanda disorders of bowels and stomach

Moabi irritant (mucous membranes)

Molopangady irritant, sores

Monkeypod irritant

Mora irritant

Movingui irritant

Muhuhu irritant

Mulga irritant, headache, nausea, wood contains a virulent poisonous principle used for spear

(Acacia aneura) heads by aboriginals

Muninga irritant, asthma, bronchitis

Myrtle irritant, sensitizer

Myrtle, Tasmanian irritant

Narra irritant, asthma

New Zealand White irritant

Norway irritant, asthma

11 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

Nyatoh irritant

Oak (Quercus genus) irritant, sensitizer, asthma, NPC (rare)

Obeche irritant, sensitizer, runny nose, hives, asthma

Okoume irritant, cough, asthma, pink eye

irritant, nearly every part of the plant is toxic, Oleander (Nerium oleander) cardiac effects

Olive irritant, sensitizer

Opepe irritant, sensitizer, nervous system effects

Osage Orange irritant, sap can cause dermatitis

Osage Orange, Argentine irritant, sap can cause dermatitis

Padauk (Pterocarpus genus) irritant, sensitizer, nausea, asthma

Palm (Arecaceae family) irritant, constitutional effects

Parinari (Parinari genus) irritant

Partridgewood irritant, hives, coughing

Pau Ferro irritant, sensitizer

Pau Marfim irritant

Pau Rosa irritant

Pau Santo irritant

Peroba Rosa irritant, sensitizer, nausea, asthma

Persimmon irritant

cavities in the wood can contain powder that Pheasantwood is an irritant

Pine (Pinus genus) irritant, runny nose, asthma

Pine, Huon irritant

Pistachio irritant

bark irritating to skin, dust may cause asthma, Poison Walnut nausea, giddiness, sap is toxic and corrosive

Poplar irritant, blisters, asthma, bronchitis

Primavera irritant, sensitizer

Purpleheart irritant, sensitizer, nausea

12 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

Quebracho irritant, nausea, NPC (rare)

Quina irritant

Ramin irritant, splinters go septic, asthma

Redwood irritant, sensitizer, asthma, HP, NPC (rare)

sap is strongly irritating, blisters, ulcers, fever, Rengas constitutional effects

Rhodesian irritant

Rose Butternut irritant, pink eye

Rosewood (Dalbergia genus) irritant, sensitizer, asthma

Rosewood, Brazilian irritant, sensitizer

Rosewood, East Indian irritant, sensitizer

Rosewood, Siamese irritant, rash, hives, sensitizer

Rubberwood irritant, sensitizer (latex allergy)

Saffron-Heart irritant, splinters go septic, lung congestion

sensitizer, nausea, respiratory, direct toxin, Sassafras NPC (rare)

Sapele irritant, sneezing

Satinwood, East Indian irritant, headache, diarrhea, sensitizer

Satinwood, West Indian irritant, diarrhea, rash, blisters, sensitizer

Shittim (Acacia seyal) irritant, coughing

Silky , Northern irritant

irritant, sap may cause blistering of skin, Silky Oak, Southern eyelid inflammation

Sissoo irritant

Slash Pine irritant, asthma

Snakewood irritant

irritant, oils within the wood cause violent Sneezewood sneezing

Spruce (Picea genus) irritant, sensitizer

Sucupira irritant

13 Wood Species Reaction Area(s) Affected Potency

Sumac (Rhus genus) irritant, bark may cause blisters

Sweetgum irritant

Tambootie irritant, diarrhea, blindness, direct toxin

Tatajuba irritant

irritant, sensitizer, rash, nausea, asthma, Teak vision effects, pink eye, HP

Thuya irritant

Turpentine irritant, swelling

Tzalam cold-like symptoms

Utile irritant

Verawood sneezing

Walnut, African irritant, systemic effects, NPC (rare)

Walnut, Black irritant, sensitizer, NPC (rare)

Walnut, English irritant, NPC (rare)

Wamara irritant

irritant, sensitizer, splinters go septic, nervous Wenge system effects

Western Hemlock irritant, NPC (rare)

Western Juniper (Juniperus irritant occidentalis)

White Peroba irritant, sensitizer, asthma

Willow (Salix genus) sensitizer, nausea, NPC (rare)

Yew (Taxus genus) irritant, nausea, direct toxin

Yellowheart irritant

Zebrawood sensitizer

cross reactions possible once sensitivity to Ziricote other woods have developed

14 References:

 Woods Toxic to Man, author unknown  Woods, B., Calnan, C.D., Toxic Woods, Br. Journal of Dermatology, 1976  ILO Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety 1983  Lame, K., McAnn, MEDIUM., AMA Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants, AMA 1985  Poisondex, Micromedix Inc. 1990  List of woods and toxicity characteristics, Roy Banner, 1989  Toxic Woods Information Sheet, (Woodworking sheet #30), Health and Safety Executive, UK  Campbell, Bruce, Wood/Dust Toxicity, 2006  Ellis, Neil, Health Hazards & Wood, 1998  Mitchell, John, and Arthur Rook, Botanical Dermatology, 1979  Pentz, Bill, Medical Risks, 2008  Timbers & Health, Woodturners Society of Queensland, Inc.  Robison, Nick von, Potentially Toxic Woods, Musical Instrument Makers Forum, 1998  Chudnoff, Martin, Tropical Timbers of the World, Forest Products Laboratory, 1980  Kukachka, Francis, Properties of Imported Tropical Woods, Forest Products Laboratory, 1969  Sims, Michael, and Erica Skadsen, Wood Hazards, BMEzine.com LLC, 2006  Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 2008  Forest Products Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture

What is a Sensitizer?

You’ve probably already heard the term desensitized—usually in reference to violent movies or images—meaning that we start off as naturally being sensitive to something, and upon more and frequent exposure, we become less and less sensitive to its effects. Well, with some woods that have been classified as being a sensitizer, the opposite is true: the more we are exposed to a wood’s sawdust or other fine particles, the more sensitive we get to its exposure, and the more severe and adverse the reactions become. If you ever have an allergic reaction to any wood that has been identified as a sensitizer, use extreme caution in handling or using that species (and related species) in future instances. Some have reactions so severe that they simply have had to stop and discontinue using certain wood species altogether. (Cocobolo is notorious in this regard.) What is HP?

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (also called extrinsic allergic alveolitis, EAA) is an inflammation of the alveoli within the lung caused by hypersensitivity to inhaled organic dusts. HP on PubMedHealth.com

What is NPC?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, or sometimes called nasopharyngeal cancer. Basically, it is a cancer of the upper area of the pharynx or “throat,” where the nasal passages and auditory tubes join the remainder of the upper respiratory tract. NPC on MayoClinic.com.

This free safety booklet is for informational purposes only. Edensaw Woods, Inc. is not responsible for the content in this booklet.

Content of this book is providedc by the www.wood-database.com

15 Wood Safety Series Booklet # 1 ~ Courtesy of Edensaw Woods, Ltd.

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