Re: blackboard or whiteboard?

[brian whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

At 11:20 4/2/99 -0500, you wrote:
...
> "Dry-erase" white-boards are now commonly used, especially in computer-rich
> classrooms, supposedly to keep chalk-dust from damaging computer
> disk-drives. But, these boards also produce dust, albeit blue and red
> instead of white.....  Is there
> any reason to suspect the markers as a potential health hazard?
> ...
> George Spagna

A stray fact:
 dyes are biologically active, in general. It is safer to assume
they are toxic or carcinogenic unless shown otherwise.
   Food dies are classified in this way because they have been
shown to be innocuous.

I wonder if the dry-erase markers have shown a similar level of
 compliance? I imagine not. But then, I don't suppose die-colored
 chalks have been checked either.

 On the other hand, I don't want test animals exposed to the
barbaric LD50 test (yep water has a level too...) nor do I relish
the idea of dropping dyes into the eyes of tethered rabbits.

The Ames test has its problems, but I'd want them to start here,
 and use other in vitro techniques too, if necessary.

Brian (bleeding heart ...whatever...)
brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK