Hi Hacker404,

Hey, don't worry about those who have passed - they knew the risks (50 years ago) and took them!

A short story:
I was watching TV when I was 35 and a guy (married with young children on TV had Mesothelioma (with a few months to live)). He was a baby for a few years in Wittenoom. Now I was in exactly the same position and I was also a baby in Wittenoom. But I did not have Mesothelioma. Given my dad out lived all his friends (yes everyone died young who worked at Wittenoom), I may have some genetics on my side. Shook me though!

I don't understand the term "officially recognized sources of asbestos".
Asbestos is a term that describes the form of a mineral, not the mineral itself.
There are many types of minerals that have asbestos forms. The mining legislation is pretty clear here about what asbestos is, if it looks like a duck and quacks, it is a duck!
Sounds like someone ducking for cover! A bit like "DENIAL of service at the ABS".

AlanX

Hey, Hacker404

I am in Australia and these mines are in Australia. I note the Coalmines over in NSW/QLD have rediscovered Black Lung Disease. I don't think Australia can point the finger at China.

On a lighter note I would not have any concerns about drilling PCBs.
If your CNC milling, just stand back.
Unless you blowing black snot in the shower your not getting enough dust to worry about.

AlanX

I am sorry to hear about your dad and his friends. I seriously hope heads roll for the black lung fiasco. I am in QLD. 

In recent times, asbestos has been imported into Australia in high rise building materials and even some trains in NSW that were made in China. Apparently there is one form of asbestos that is NOT recognized as asbestos in China. 

I worked with asbestos building materials in the 70's but so far I have not had a diagnosis that relates to asbestos so I should be ok in that regard because of the time that has passed. My COPD is a obstructive condition rather than a restrictive condition but otherwise much the same.

Mesothelioma is cancer of the lining of the chest and they tell me very painful.
The thing is the diseases tend not to show up until 10 to 30 years later.
I am not a doctor but I worked as a ventilation officer in the mining industry. When we sometimes find natural asbestos then we close that section of the mine until we have sprayed the area with an epoxy type compound to seal it.
My Dad and many of his friends died of asbestos and silicosis related illnesses.
AlanX

Asbestos is similar to silicosis (damage to the lung), few die of it (but they need to carry an oxygen bottle around). THEY USUALLY DIE OF A HEART ATTACK INSTEAD!

Thanks Radomir Dopieralski, 

After the comments from you and Alan I feel confident in buying blank laminate from China. I will probably use a P2 dust mask if I need to cut it. Hopefully I can just find boards that are a size that I don't need to cut.

Another note: I bought some really cheap (non-glass PCB boards).

I will not buy again, the copper is too thin and the glue not good enough.

One mistake and the track lifts.

AlanX 

Hi,

I cannot comment on the economics of substitution of asbestos for glass fiber, it does not seem to make sense to me (why bother - glass is very cheap). As fire retardant it does nor seem to make sense either (the binding material is what is flammable).

But the hazard with regard to asbestos versus glass fiber is a different matter. I you are unaware there are two issues: the size/shape of the fiber that allows it to get into the lung air sacks and the biological impact.

Asbestos dust is very dangerous and some say there is no safe lower limit of exposure (probably due to its carcinogenic properties see mesothelioma).

Silicosis from glass fiber on the other hand is unlikely to be a hazard to your health in hobby use (but don't go sniffing glass fiber on my say so!).

So yes the dust is dangerous regardless of asbestos or glass but glass fiber should not be a worry to you if your exposure is low (i.e. hobby use) and you avoid situations where you breath in the dust (stand back when CNC milling a PCB).

One final note - the dust that does the damage is 1 to 10 um in size and this is invisible (when airborne)!

AlanX

Thanks for that Alan. Asbestos was extensively used in building materials in the 1980's in my country. We now have the third wave of (asbestosis as we call it). This time it's the previous home renovators. We also get some asbestos sneak in products from China and that is hat concerned me. I have been diagnosed COPD so I wont be breathing anything in lol. 

If you cut FR4 without a protection, proper ventilation and cleaning afterwards, you *will* release dangerous materials, no matter where you bought the PCBs. The dust from FR4 is unhealthy.