[Rockhounds] Blue Schist

[DonH]

teresa jetter wrote:

> 
>>    I suppose working the material wet would keep
>>the dust down, but it
>>wouldn't surprise me if there were fibers in any
>>mist or spray that could be
>>inhaled.  I would use a good dust mask if I chose to
>>work with it.
>>
>>    Any better insights on this from anyone?

Hi,

I would recommend working any material wet and wearing a mask.  Silica 
dust, in the right morphology, is also a hazardous material, while we're 
on the subject.  We are also surrounded by quartz and amphiboles in our 
environment.  Malachite and azurite also create dusts that should not be 
inhaled.

However, unless there has been a study specifically linking glaucophane 
to any illness, I wouldn't raise any alarm bells about it.  There is a 
lot of misinformation, propaganda, and frantic arm-waving going on right 
now about the health hazards of asbestiform minerals, and it would seem 
that the risks are related to the chemistry and morphology of the 
minerals in question, including a relationship to the size of the fibers 
as well as the aspect ratio (length/width ratio).  So again, precautions 
should be taken against inhaling any and all dusts.

Of course I wouldn't imagine a blueshcist assemblage makes good lapidary 
material anyway; it would be pretty friable and I don't think it would 
look very interesting as a cabachon or free-form, though a large 
polished slice might have some interesting textures.


best regards,
Don