General Music Chat

Good thing about fiberglass is that no one is allergic to it - its is just glass (silica), spun into fibers. People are sensitive to it - itches like all get out because it gets into your skin pores - showering with cold/cool water helps because it washes it out as it closes up the pores.
Rockwool is a good substitute for sound absorbtion. I've heard conflicting info on the recyled cotton insulation and no solid frequency analysis numbers. Once you've got the traps made (with a cloth covering), the insulation is no longer an issue.

Good thing about fiberglass is that no one is allergic to it - its is just glass (silica), spun into fibers. People are sensitive to it - itches like all get out because it gets into your skin pores - showering with cold/cool water helps because it washes it out as it closes up the pores.
Rockwool is a good substitute for sound absorbtion. I've heard conflicting info on the recyled cotton insulation and no solid frequency analysis numbers. Once you've got the traps made (with a cloth covering), the insulation is no longer an issue.

Installers of both rock wool and fiberglass often complain of itching and tiny cuts in the skin due to the fibers. Itching can also result from an allergic reaction to the binder used to hold the insulation together.
There has been a great deal written about the health effects of fiberglass. As early as 1955, researchers were seeing respiratory problems and death attributed to inhaling fiberglass. One of the first reports to gain widespread attention was presented to a World Health Organization symposium in 1986. The report found that workers in fiberglass manufacturing companies suffered more lung cancer than other workers. Other reports have also indicated that man-made mineral fibers such as rock wool and fiberglass can cause cancer in production workers. The illnesses reported include cancer of the upper respiratory system, alimentary tract, and digestive system, as well as non-malignant respiratory disease. Production workers are usually exposed to higher concentrations over longer periods of time than homeowners. Insulation installers can be exposed to levels even higher than production workers because they often work without respiratory protection.

Some people believe the increased cancer risk is due to short, small diameter fibers that are inhaled fibers that are similar in size to asbestos fibers. One report suggests that these man made mineral fibers appear to be more potent than asbestos with regard to chronic pulmonary disease. The U.S. National Toxicology Programs Seventh Annual (1992) Report on Carcinogens, said that fiberglass is reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen. Fiberglass insulation now carries a warning label stating that it is a possible carcinogen. Manufacturers recommend the following work practices, wear a respirator, avoid contact with skin and eyes, wear long-sleeved clothing, gloves, and eye protection, wash with soap and water after handling, wash work clothes separately from other clothes and wipe out the washing machine.

Fiberglass, Rockwool, Polyester, Cotton, and Sheep Absorption Coefficients
http://www.bobgolds.com/AbsorptionCoefficients.htm

Living causes death! Better die now and get it over with!
I've done TONS of fiberglass work for decades, had more than a few exposures to asbestos. Still kicking.

Living causes death! Better die now and get it over with!
I've done TONS of fiberglass work for decades, had more than a few exposures to asbestos. Still kicking.

That is some solid and sound scientific reasoning ... echoing the reasoning of many heavy life long cigarette smokers. Makes me suspect you must also have a similar cavalier attitude regarding lead exposure, given it's known impairment of mental functioning.


Asbestos Facts

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, most fibers are expelled, but some can become lodged in the lungs and remain there throughout life. Fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammation. Enough scarring and inflammation can affect breathing, leading to disease.
The term naturally occurring asbestos refers to the mineral as a natural component of soils or rocks as opposed to asbestos in commercial products, mining or processing operations. Naturally occurring asbestos can be released from rocks or soils by routine human activities, such as construction, or natural weathering processes. If naturally occurring asbestos is not disturbed and fibers are not released into the air, then it is not a health risk.
People are more likely to experience asbestos-related disorders when they are exposed to high concentrations of asbestos, are exposed for longer periods of time, and/or are exposed more often.
Inhaling longer, more durable asbestos fibers (such as tremolite and other amphiboles) contributes to the severity of asbestos-related disorders.
Exposure to asbestos can increase the likelihood of lung cancer, mesothelioma, and non-malignant lung conditions such as asbestosis (restricted use of the lungs due to retained asbestos fibers) and changes in the pleura (lining of the chest cavity, outside the lung).
Changes in pleura such as thickening, plaques, calcification, and fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion) may be early signs of asbestos exposure. These changes can affect breathing more than previously thought. Pleural effusion can be an early warning sign for mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lungs).
Most cases of asbestosis or lung cancer in workers occurred 15 years or more after the person was first exposed to asbestos.
Most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after the first exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos-related disease has been diagnosed in asbestos workers, family members, and residents who live close to asbestos mines or processing plants.
Health effects from asbestos exposure may continue to progress even after exposure is stopped.
Smoking or cigarette smoke, together with exposure to asbestos, greatly increases the likelihood of lung cancer. See Cigarette Smoking, Asbestos Exposure, and your Health.

50 years ago I lived about 60 miles from one of the worst asbestos-minng communities in Quebec, Thetford Mines. 35 years ago worked for a couple of days at a construction site demo-ing a building that was filled with asbestos (they didn't have the regulations they do now about removal). It was my job to spray down the dust with water, and then sweep it up.
Minor amount of asbestos inside my 100-year-old furnace when I finally got it out of the basement.
I smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years, too. Maybe all the tar in my lungs encapsulated all the bad sh*t!