Long Term Exposure to Chalk Dust

[cuetechasaurus]

I'm wondering if this poses as a health risk at all. I work at a poolroom with about 20 tables, and every time a customer brings up the balls I go brush it down. A few hours into my shift, my throat always gets dry and somewhat irritated (beverages or cough drops dont help). I also have to blow my nose often, and what comes out on the kleenex is light blue in color.

I'm gonna talk to my boss about this, but before I do and I'm wondering if anyone knows about anyone that has had health problems from exposure to alot of chalk dust, and also if there is a good and inexpensive portable vaccuum that can be used on the tables all day long. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[rackem]

I'm wondering if this poses as a health risk at all. I work at a poolroom with about 20 tables, and every time a customer brings up the balls I go brush it down. A few hours into my shift, my throat always gets dry and somewhat irritated (beverages or cough drops dont help). I also have to blow my nose often, and what comes out on the kleenex is light blue in color.

I'm gonna talk to my boss about this, but before I do and I'm wondering if anyone knows about anyone that has had health problems from exposure to alot of chalk dust, and also if there is a good and inexpensive portable vaccuum that can be used on the tables all day long. Any advice would be much appreciated.

There have been some threads about vacumns try a search. Just remember no roller brush type vacumns they beat up the cloth. Recomendation for now is wear a mask or change to brown chalk. It does not show up on cues or up your nose.

 

[BWTadpole]

I think there could be a potential long-term health risk, as pool chalk nowadays is not 'chalk' but a mixture of various abrasives.

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

I found this information from the article below:

http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/medtox/education/lead-newsletter-vol-1-issue-2.pdf

Pool Cue Chalk
The use of lead as a coloring agent in pool cue chalk is
often denied by the industry. Nevertheless, one study in
1996 did conclude that 3 of 23 brands of pool cue chalk
tested contained lead, one as much as 7,000 ppm. [Miller
MB, Curry SC, Kunkel DB et al. Pool cue chalk: a source
of environmental lead. Pediatrics 1996;97:916-17.]

It might also be possible that people who wear contact lenses might also be affected by the chalk dust. Maybe we should all wear face masks and goggles while playing pool!

 

[LWW]

I have found that long term exposure to life, will sooner or later cause death.

LWW

 

[Jack Flanagan]

I can see it now; class action lawsuit against the chalk manufacturers.

some ambulance chasing lawyers, hoping to score big bucks and pass a little of it down to their clients.

.damn, my eyes are watering and my throat is dry,,,,,58 years of exposure to chalk,,,I ought to get a big settlement, maybe 50 or 60 dollars...

 

[TX Poolnut]

From the American Acadamy of Pediatrics:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/97/6/916

Also found this article from 1995:
http://wc.arizona.edu/~wildcat/papers/old-wildcats/spring95/February/February27,1995/01_3_m.html

A case of lead poisoning from snooker chalk:
http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/83/6/519

All you have to do is search google for "pool chalk lead" for all the reading on this subject you can handle.

 

[StrokeofLuck]

My understanding is long term effects include: Feeling blue, a desire to rub up against leather while making squeaking noises, and ultimately... dust to dust.

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

From the American Acadamy of Pediatrics:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/97/6/916

Also found this article from 1995:
http://wc.arizona.edu/~wildcat/papers/old-wildcats/spring95/February/February27,1995/01_3_m.html

A case of lead poisoning from snooker chalk:
http://adc.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/83/6/519

All you have to do is search google for "pool chalk lead" for all the reading on this subject you can handle.

The first two articles are over 10 years old and the third one is 7 years old. It's possible that the high concentrations of lead have been reduced over the years. It's interesting that Master chalk is one of the manufacturers incriminated with having a ultra-high lead content.

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

I just sent an email to the manufacturer of Master chalk, the Tweeten Fibre Company, asking them what the lead content was of the Master chalk that they sell.

It should be interesting to see how they respond, if at all.

 

[McChen]

hmm...i use the grey masters that doesn't have color, so maybe that is unexpectedly a good thing. i know that talc is pretty bad for you as well, that is why they have started making baby powder out of cornstarch now.

 

[dimes33]

try this

take out ALL of the blue chalk in the building and replace it with red chalk for 3 months.if you blow your nose and its red then theres your answer

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

I just sent an email to the manufacturer of Master chalk, the Tweeten Fibre Company, asking them what the lead content was of the Master chalk that they sell.

It should be interesting to see how they respond, if at all.

I just got the following response back from Tweeten:

Good morning Allen. There is no lead or anything toxic on any of our chalk brands.

Cheers,
Tweeten

 

[SpiderWebComm]

I'm wondering if this poses as a health risk at all. I work at a poolroom with about 20 tables, and every time a customer brings up the balls I go brush it down. A few hours into my shift, my throat always gets dry and somewhat irritated (beverages or cough drops dont help). I also have to blow my nose often, and what comes out on the kleenex is light blue in color.

I'm gonna talk to my boss about this, but before I do and I'm wondering if anyone knows about anyone that has had health problems from exposure to alot of chalk dust, and also if there is a good and inexpensive portable vaccuum that can be used on the tables all day long. Any advice would be much appreciated.

GREAT question, I think. I wonder that all the time. Betmore might know, or know a pulmonologist who might know. Wouldn't that be funny if it becomes known that chalk dust causes cancer and we all start playing with dust masks?

 

[Irish634]

The absolute easiest thing to do is to request the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) from the chalk manufacturer of your choice. The MSDS sheet is "supposed" to provide any and all health related concerns, chemical contents, etc. that are in the product. They also are supposed to list first aid, etc.

I did request this info from Tweeten this morning at work and I did get a reply with the MSDS sheets. Unfortunately I left it in my email at work so I'll have to post it tomorrow. I can't remember what exactly the contents were, but what I do remember is the Master and Triangle brands had identical contents. I also remember reading where the use of a dust mask is recommended for prolonged exposure.

If they are small enough files, I'll post the MSDS sheets from Tweeten tomorrow when I get to work.

Craig

 

[Methodman201]

Ahh, Well I guess it's not a great thing that I Snort it, uh?

 

[chilli66]

How do you think these guys got started??

 

[Irish634]

If they are small enough files, I'll post the MSDS sheets from Tweeten tomorrow when I get to work.

Craig

As I mentioned last night.... here are the MSDS files from Tweeten

View attachment chalk-1.pdf
View attachment chalk-2.pdf

You should be able to request an MSDS from any chalk manufacturer and the document(s) should be provided free of charge.

Craig

 

[TheWizard]

I'm wondering if this poses as a health risk at all. I work at a poolroom with about 20 tables, and every time a customer brings up the balls I go brush it down. A few hours into my shift, my throat always gets dry and somewhat irritated (beverages or cough drops dont help). I also have to blow my nose often, and what comes out on the kleenex is light blue in color.

I'm gonna talk to my boss about this, but before I do and I'm wondering if anyone knows about anyone that has had health problems from exposure to alot of chalk dust, and also if there is a good and inexpensive portable vaccuum that can be used on the tables all day long. Any advice would be much appreciated.

First of all, I want to ask you, what color is the cloth on the tables, in the room you work at?

I used to work in a snooker club, where I live, and I had the same problem, but it wasn't just chalk dust, it was a combination of cloth fibers, chalk and slate surface dust (The dust and crap that gets jammed underneath the cloth itself) and yes, like you, I would get a dry throat and my nose would start to get clogged up, and when I blew it, I would wind up getting a dark green colored mess, as well as the same dust winding up underneath my finger nails too.

And so, my advice is this....

1. If you're going to brush the tables, wear a dust mask, and open any windows that are in the room, as circulating air, will help take some of the dust out of the room.

2. Wear a pair of gloves that have a soft, but rubbery type palm, so that you can keep your hands clean and still being able to grip the brush in the same degree as using your bare hands.

3. If possible, start vacuuming the tables, but make sure that you find out what filler has been used between the slates, when it was recovered, because if Plaster Parris was used, then stick to brushing, because if vacuumed, the plaster paris will crack and chip, and the vacuum will only lift bits of plaster paris and leave them on the slate surface, creating bumps under the cloth.

4. If vacuuming is possible, then vacuum the table, and use "Chalk Off" to removed any other surface chalk dust, from the cloth and this should give a real nice finish on the cloth, and also make the table play a bit more like it's original faster pace

I hope that this helps and if I can be of any more help, then feel free to send me a PM anytime

Willie

 

[PoolSharkAllen]

As I mentioned last night.... here are the MSDS files from Tweeten

View attachment 47038
View attachment 47039

You should be able to request an MSDS from any chalk manufacturer and the document(s) should be provided free of charge.

Craig

Cuetec, Per the attachments, here is the recommended first aid procedure:

INHALATION: Gross Inhalation - remove to fresh air. If not breathing, give artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Call a physician.