Epichlorohydrin, another chemical given off in the production of epoxy resins has copious amounts of health hazards. Short-term inhalation exposure has caused irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. Nausea, vomiting, cough, labored breathing, lung inflammation, pulmonary edema and renal lesions were observed on humans after high levels of exposure. Contact with the skin can cause irritation and burns. Chronic occupational exposure of humans to airborne epichlorohydrin has been proven to cause high levels of respiratory tract illness and hematological effects. Long-term inhalation exposure causes pulmonary effects including extreme lung congestion, pneumonia in animals and inflammation and degerative changes in the nasal epithelia. Myocardial changes and damage to the central nervous system was also seen in chronically exposed rats. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified epicholorhydrin as a Group B2, probable human carcinogen. Also increased tumor concentration was observed in the nasal cavity and the forestomach when epicholorhydrin was inhaled and consumed orally, respectively.
I have been feeling slightly nauseous from about the first batch of epoxy of this build while using the epoxy I normally build with. Over the past 5 years or so I have been becoming steadily more allergic to epoxy in the form of skin irritation. Over the past few months that irritation has progressed to my lungs by closing my sinuses for about the last three weeks solid.
The nausea which was very mind a few months ago is now severe enough that I have to stop building for a while. I have ordered a carbon filter face mask for working on the boat, whether it be epoxying or sanding the mask is now a must wear item for me.. The nausea has not passed for the last four days which has been unpleasant to say the least because along with the nausea also comes the flu like symptoms of blocked sinuses and aching muscles (no I don't have the flu, unless it can go away for a day and come back the next like a switch being turned on and off and the switch being mixing and using epoxy).
On the build side of things.....
We now have our carbon-fibre boom (ex 18ft skiff) which is a bit untidy (and needed one little repair) but nice and light and the perfect length for us which is to be long enough to have the transom hung bridle/main sheet system.
We (Donna helped with the roller) got the cockpit floor cut to shape and glassed (curing now), the cockpit floor is foam again not ply. Depending on my health I will see if I can glue it in place tomorrow---still nauseous = no more work.
The hull is still a two person lift, for a couple of energetic adult males, which is good but neither here nor there. The only construction left to do other than putting the cockpit floor in place is to get the keel sleeve in------yep, really slow on that one, you could even say I've been avoiding it. The keel still needs to be faired before that can happen and I have not had the mental energy for the job. Well I've run out of construction jobs so it the only thing left other than fairing which I'm looking forward to not at all.
Some more pictures tomorrow (maybe).
If you don't have any reactions to epoxy, or especially if you do--there is some scary information out there on epoxy side effects......................
* please use gloves, long sleeves, and get a carbon filter dust mask (not the paper ones)....
I have a friend or two that have to use poly & vinyl ester these days because they now react that badly to epoxy and epoxy vapors.
I have been feeling slightly nauseous from about the first batch of epoxy of this build while using the epoxy I normally build with. Over the past 5 years or so I have been becoming steadily more allergic to epoxy in the form of skin irritation. Over the past few months that irritation has progressed to my lungs by closing my sinuses for about the last three weeks solid.
The nausea which was very mind a few months ago is now severe enough that I have to stop building for a while. I have ordered a carbon filter face mask for working on the boat, whether it be epoxying or sanding the mask is now a must wear item for me.. The nausea has not passed for the last four days which has been unpleasant to say the least because along with the nausea also comes the flu like symptoms of blocked sinuses and aching muscles (no I don't have the flu, unless it can go away for a day and come back the next like a switch being turned on and off and the switch being mixing and using epoxy).
On the build side of things.....
We now have our carbon-fibre boom (ex 18ft skiff) which is a bit untidy (and needed one little repair) but nice and light and the perfect length for us which is to be long enough to have the transom hung bridle/main sheet system.
We (Donna helped with the roller) got the cockpit floor cut to shape and glassed (curing now), the cockpit floor is foam again not ply. Depending on my health I will see if I can glue it in place tomorrow---still nauseous = no more work.
The hull is still a two person lift, for a couple of energetic adult males, which is good but neither here nor there. The only construction left to do other than putting the cockpit floor in place is to get the keel sleeve in------yep, really slow on that one, you could even say I've been avoiding it. The keel still needs to be faired before that can happen and I have not had the mental energy for the job. Well I've run out of construction jobs so it the only thing left other than fairing which I'm looking forward to not at all.
Some more pictures tomorrow (maybe).
If you don't have any reactions to epoxy, or especially if you do--there is some scary information out there on epoxy side effects......................
* please use gloves, long sleeves, and get a carbon filter dust mask (not the paper ones)....
I have a friend or two that have to use poly & vinyl ester these days because they now react that badly to epoxy and epoxy vapors.
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