Ah. Just in time for summer camping…My Svea 123 says to use benzene fuel. I use naphtha or “camp fuel”. Are we talking about the same compound?
Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
151–160 of 165 posts
Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#152When I was taking organic chemistry my (mid-to-late 60s at the time in ~20010) teacher told us an anecdote about benzene when we started learning about aromatic molecules. She told us that they used to clean their lab bench with benzene solvent to make it sparkling clean. Of course, she also told us it was carcinogenic and then finished by saying a lot of her contemporary colleagues that went into organic chemistry r…
"She told us that they used to clean their lab bench with benzene solvent to make it sparkling clean. Of course, she also told us it was carcinogenic and then finished by saying a lot of her contemporary" That was about the same time I was learning the subject. We didn't get an anecdote about cleaning lab benches with benzene but were told it was very dangerous and carcinogenic. Our teacher brought out a little bottl…
>If this was common advice in lab science 50+ years ago then why is it even an issue today?
[...]
>this paper ought to be a hypothetical as such exposure should not happen.
Of course it shouldn't happen. We all wish bad things didn't happen...
I am having trouble wrapping my head around this comment. I don't think people are purposefully exposing themselves to the chemical... Like yeah, of course everyone hopes that they won't need to know what happens when someone is exposed to benzene, but that doesn't mean we don't study it anyway. I don't think "hypothetical" is the word here since the possibility of benzene exposure is very real.
The implication here seems to be that, as soon as you discover the negative effects of exposure to a certain chemical, that chemical is instantly no longer a threat to anybody. Just because we may have known about this ~50 years ago, doesn't mean that we can just stop worrying about it.
Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#153Earlier quoted context omitted.
Chemists used to basically bathe in Benzene back in the day. I’ve heard that they as a group tended to die in their 60’s. Most teaching Chem labs tend to work with small amounts of chemicals today and try to avoid the nasty stuff if possible.
"I’ve heard that they as a group tended to die in their 60’s." Why then was my experience so different back then? We treated benzene and CCl4 with great care, a fume cupboard was esential. See my other post.
Perhaps "back in the day" means something different to you than it does to the person you're replying to.
Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#154Earlier quoted context omitted.
"I’ve heard that they as a group tended to die in their 60’s." Why then was my experience so different back then? We treated benzene and CCl4 with great care, a fume cupboard was esential. See my other post.
Perhaps "back in the day" means something different to you than it does to the person you're replying to.
The commentary was about the 1960s and that was the time I was referring to.
Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#155Earlier quoted context omitted.
"She told us that they used to clean their lab bench with benzene solvent to make it sparkling clean. Of course, she also told us it was carcinogenic and then finished by saying a lot of her contemporary" That was about the same time I was learning the subject. We didn't get an anecdote about cleaning lab benches with benzene but were told it was very dangerous and carcinogenic. Our teacher brought out a little bottl…
>If this was common advice in lab science 50+ years ago then why is it even an issue today? [...] >this paper ought to be a hypothetical as such exposure should not happen. Of course it shouldn't happen. We all wish bad things didn't happen... I am having trouble wrapping my head around this comment. I don't think people are purposefully exposing themselves to the chemical... Like yeah, of course everyone hopes that…
I'm sorry you missed my point that regulation lags the tech and can do so for a very long time—usually because commercial and vested interests block safety regulations.
Where would you like me to start? Perhaps asbestos, it's well known and well documented. 2000+ years ago the Romans were well aware of its dangers and called is effects 'the wasting disease', that's why they only sent slaves and prisoners to asbestos mines.
It was then the subject of several Admiralty inquiries in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries that came to the conclusion that it was dangerous and significantly shortened lives but the reports were overlooked as those lagging pipes on ships were expendable, getting ships ready for war wasn't. And we are still dealing with the stuff 100+ years on.
We could end with the dangers of social media and AI, but the populous at large is so enamored with them it can't even yet see the dangers let alone consider regulating them.
Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#156Earlier quoted context omitted.
It used to be the way to decaffeinate coffee https://www.landryswarr.com/did-you-know-decaf-coffee-used-t... In general if you drink decaffeinated coffee I'd check how it's decaffeinated. Even newer processes that use dichloromethane, ethyl acetate or triglycerides are dicey imho. The supercritical CO2 processes seem safe though. Truth be told I'd encourage anyone drinking decaf to really think about the benefits her…
Is there any evidence it is unsafe?
Benzenes harm wasn't known when it was used. The newer processes have not been proven either safe or the unsafe.
Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#157Earlier quoted context omitted.
perhaps as a society we need to stop dismissing things containing plastics, synthetic fibres, rubber, resins, dyes and pharmaceuticals as otherwise harmless. I personally strongly avoid sleeping on or wearing anything containing synthetic fibres unless absolutely necessary. dyes I'm less cautious about, as short of dressing like a hippy they're almost impossible to avoid. it would be worse if I was a woman I'm sure,…
> I personally strongly avoid sleeping on or wearing anything containing synthetic fibres unless absolutely necessary. What's your pillow stuffed with? You mattress? What's your carpet made of? Have anything plastic in the house that might off-gas? You know what aluminum cans are coated with? What's your furniture made of? Is there epoxy in that? What it finished with polyurethane? Things like lead, benzene, and DDT…
I try not to worry myself too much about these things, in the same way I don't constantly immerse myself in politics. within a busy life, clothes, bedsheets and pillows are easy and effective targets to eliminate
Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#158Earlier quoted context omitted.
perhaps as a society we need to stop dismissing things containing plastics, synthetic fibres, rubber, resins, dyes and pharmaceuticals as otherwise harmless. I personally strongly avoid sleeping on or wearing anything containing synthetic fibres unless absolutely necessary. dyes I'm less cautious about, as short of dressing like a hippy they're almost impossible to avoid. it would be worse if I was a woman I'm sure,…
Why are you confident cotton isn't carcinogenic?
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Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
perhaps as a society we need to stop dismissing things containing plastics, synthetic fibres, rubber, resins, dyes and pharmaceuticals as otherwise harmless. I personally strongly avoid sleeping on or wearing anything containing synthetic fibres unless absolutely necessary. dyes I'm less cautious about, as short of dressing like a hippy they're almost impossible to avoid. it would be worse if I was a woman I'm sure,…
Why are you confident cotton isn't carcinogenic?
thank you for this comment, by the way. it forced me to question my thoughts and really helped me to a better understanding: a natural product is produced from something that has dna. obviously this isn't the original intention of the word natural, but it's an extremely useful explanation for an instinct, and your comment forced me to it
Re: Benzene Exposure Alters Endocrine Activity
#160Earlier quoted context omitted.
>If this was common advice in lab science 50+ years ago then why is it even an issue today? [...] >this paper ought to be a hypothetical as such exposure should not happen. Of course it shouldn't happen. We all wish bad things didn't happen... I am having trouble wrapping my head around this comment. I don't think people are purposefully exposing themselves to the chemical... Like yeah, of course everyone hopes that…
I'm sorry you missed my point that regulation lags the tech and can do so for a very long time—usually because commercial and vested interests block safety regulations. Where would you like me to start? Perhaps asbestos, it's well known and well documented. 2000+ years ago the Romans were well aware of its dangers and called is effects 'the wasting disease', that's why they only sent slaves and prisoners to asbestos…
Well I'm not sure that's the point I would have taken away from your comment, but oh well...
What it comes down to (which is what it always comes down to in capitalism), is capital. Accruing (and facilitating the accrual of) and protecting capital is the main function of the state, so it's only natural that regulations to protect regular people at the cost of a fraction of profits of the bourgeoisie, would take decades to be put in place. If ever.
Same thing goes for social media and AI. We sit back and watch as it corrodes and destroys our societies, so a handful of multi-billion dollar corporations can report profits to their shareholders every quarter.
This isn't anything new, there are people way smarter than you and I that figured this out a long time ago... Just don't say his name or else nobody will take you seriously.