Re: chalk dust (was: Boise: anyone want a smoke-ring gun?)

[Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>]

Much reported that chalk is a trigger for asthma, and:

I suppose it makes sense that chalk could contains asbestos, as talc does.

 From a stat. exam.:

bc

P.s. white lung disease is asbestosis


b. (2 points) Until recently, out of a population of 150,000 professors in the United
States, an average of ten would die every month from White Lung Disease? an
affliction brought on by inhaling chalk dust. Recently, some university
administrators have begun a move away from using chalk, toward using white
boards and markers, or even PowerPoint presentations. Several have replaced all
chalk boards and simultaneously reduced the salaries of professors by $1000 a
year because of the reduced need to compensate for risk. The price was
apparently right, since few professors have sought to transfer either into or out of
those universities that have adopted this policy. Again, on the basis of this
information, what is the value of a professor's life?

Larry Smith wrote:

> At 12:50 AM -0700 7/22/02, Bernard Cleyet wrote:
> >  Chalk dust is also a bit toxic.
>
> A student of mine told me last year of "white lung disease" that teachers
> can get from chalk dust.  I'd never heard of it and thought that chalk was
> pretty benign.  Is chalk better for one's health than white board pens,
> fumes, and dust?
>
> Larry