Re: Re: toner and asthma

[Guest guest]

It is unfortunate that our breathing problems keep us from doing some of the

things we would like to try.

Fran: Just for the little printing you might do at home, might I suggest any

HP printer for a computer? I have an older HP 730C and my daughter has a newer

printer/scanner/copier. Both use a self-contained cartridge and so far I have

not had any reaction to the ink as it is usually dry by the time the page is

printed--even the colored ink.

Some of these printers are rather inexpensive--the cartridges are a little

high, but they do go a long way. I have had the same printer since I got my

first specially built desktop computer about 10 years ago. I am on my second

computer but the printer is still going strong! If you lived in my town, I

would offer to give you an HP that we have that is not being used right now--my

daughter had it for her desktop, but she now has a laptop and uses her printer,

scanner/copier.

Just thinking--while xolair is helping in so many ways, there are still things

like dust particles and metal particles and other types of particles in the air

that will always serve as irritants to our lungs.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day. We are now out of the monsoonal season and

are in the dog days of summer--hot and humid. Yesterday was one of our hottest

so far this summer--98. Usually by this time we have had several days of 100+

temps. So I'm really not complaining. I just stay in as much as possible!

Adah

tiredofsteroids <sitesee@...> wrote:

These posts triggerred my recall of simlar experiences I've had in the

past. The first was also with darkroom chemicals during the phase in

which I envisioned myslef as an emerging serious hobby photographer.

The only way I could function even in a well-ventilated darkroom was

by wearing a surgical paper mask, tied on before I entered the dark

room and not removed until I had washed my hands thouroughly and

stepped out of the darkroom. It was only partially effective and

eventually my good sense got the better of me and I retired from the

darkroom

The second experience occurred when I was studying jewelry

construction, starting with a piece of silver or gold metal from which

I then learned to make an actual piece of lovely intricate jewelry.

This work involves Vats of acid steaming in the workroom and lots of

metal dust wafting around the room as the metal is worked and

polished. Even with a mask, I could only keep it up for about six

weeks befire I bowed out of the opportunity to pursue that artiistic

bent. Sighh.....

So much work and art, such lousy breathing................what a loss.

Fran

> >

> > This week on the news there was a mention about laser printers

> > adversely affecting people's health - I dismissed it until I noticed

> > it on news of the day and I clicked on - cases of asthma and

> > chronic lung disease are being attributed to particles of toner.

> >

> > THAT COULD BE WHY I HAVE BEEN SO SICK THE PAST TWO YEARS? Three

> and a

> > half years ago I started printing our community calendar in my

> home -

> > at first I had the printer in the attic but at some point in 2005 I

> > brought it down stairs and put it in the livingroom (we have a small

> > bungalow style house). We're not talking about a few copies here

> and

> > there, I was printing 4,000 - 6,000 impressions a month PLUS hand-

> outs

> > for local political campaigns in 2005 and 2006.

> >

> > I was buying big canisters of toner that could do 7,000 impressions

> > compared to 2,500. Last year I stopped printing in house - my

> printer

> > was wearing out and service calls of $160 were coming out of my own

> > pocket. AT that point I started printing at the UPS store and

> they'd

> > give me a price break for free ad.

> >

> > so why haven't I gotten any better in the past year? I'm still

> > printing stuff to hand out at town board meetings (I'm a

> councilman),

> > and I have four years of paperwork in my house from being a

> councilperson.

> >

> > I was a computerized typesetter in the early 1980's that had to give

> > it up because of an allergy to photographic fixer. I had to totally

> > remove myself from any kind of graphic arts environment where there

> > were printers inks, chemicals, even magic markers. Twenty years and

> > technology later we're computerized and I'm thinking everything is

> so

> > nice and clean now with computers and toner.

> >

> > If this is ONE of the culprits (and we're dealing with several other

> > things that could be exasterbating my asthma including coughing and

> > throat problems from my high blood pressure medicine and severe

> gerd)

> > it could affect my ability to do some jobs and strictly limit

> > environments I could work in. Handling paperwork is key in any

> > political position, and it could derail other plans I have to work

> in

> > public service. I am totally blown away at how many doors this will

> > close for me.

> >

> > Everyone blames my hedgehog but they've been here less than a year

> and

> > the resurface of chronic asthma and inability to get off steroids

> > started a couple of years before I bought myself a pet. The time

> line

> > does not fit. Anyone else have any concerns about laser jet toner?

> >

>

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