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 cavemonkey
 
Location: berthoud,Colorado
Gender: Male
 |  |  | health effects of cresol?
< on 11/21/2005 1:25 AM >
|  | | | theres an abandoned chemical plant that im looking into exploring and i found out some info on why it was closed. It produced chemicals to seal railroad ties, cresol im told. They had large holding tanks on site which burst spreading it just about everywhere. im curious as to the health effects of this chemical and what sort of ppe i would need to explore it safely. Ive heard its bad stuff but i dont know. all i know is the property was condemned because of the spills...
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HillbillyHorus
  
Location: Charlottesville Virginia
Gender: Male
Im in ur government, killin ur d00dz
| | | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 1 on 11/21/2005 2:00 AM >
| | | | Printed on wikipedia
Most exposures to cresols are at very low levels that are not harmful. When cresols are breathed, ingested, or applied to the skin at very high levels, they can be very harmful. Effects observed in people include irritation and burning of skin, eyes, mouth, and throat; abdominal pain and vomiting; heart damage; anemia; liver and kidney damage; facial paralysis; coma; and death.
Breathing high levels of cresols for a short time results in irritation of the nose and throat. Aside from these effects, very little is known about the effects of breathing cresols, for example, at lower levels over longer times.
Ingesting high levels results in kidney problems, mouth and throat burns, abdominal pain, vomiting, and effects on the blood and nervous system.
Skin contact with high levels of cresols can burn the skin and damage the kidneys, liver, blood, brain, and lungs.
Short-term and long-term studies with animals have shown similar effects from exposure to cresols. No human or animal studies have shown harmful effects from cresols on the ability to have children.
It is not known what the effects are from long-term ingestion or skin contact with low levels of cresols.
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So, no it's not safe. I wouldn't go in there if I were you. Maybe if you buy yourself an SCBA, but it's probably not worth the cash.
You can't fall off a mountain. |
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lokiplease
Location: Sarasota, Florida [soon to be Orlando, Florida]
Gender: Female
silent hill! <3
| | | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 2 on 11/21/2005 2:13 AM >
| | | | When a building is condemned, there's usually a good reason. Be very careful if you go; I wouldn't necessarily say stay away no matter what, but touch as few things as you can and get out as soon as you start feeling any effects like irritation. It probably is best to pass this one up, though.
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this_guy
Location: Chicago suburbs
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 3 on 11/21/2005 4:53 AM >
| | | | Creosote is the stuff used to seal railroad ties, and while it would make a huge mess of a building, it isn't as nasty as the cresol description suggests.
I see two possible threats. Either you trip and cover yourself with a tar that'll eventually irritate your skin but isn't an immediate threat (although it's extremely difficult to get out of clothing), or the stuff is all over the place and you inhale the vapors. But the vapors might not be a threat if the building has been abandoned and well ventilated for some time. Let your nose be your guide. If the place smells strongly of cresol, turn back.
"Every sound shall end in silence, but the silence never dies." - from Samuel Miller Hagemen, found written on the wall of an abandoned building |
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Uncle Goose
 
Location: Ghent, Belgium
Gender: Male
The Goose knows best.
| | | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 4 on 11/21/2005 10:09 AM >
| | | | It can give you cancer on the long run. But being the fact that you are there for a short time I wouldn't worry too much.
A 1000 days of sorrow can disapear in a split second, it takes only one person to make it happen. |
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MrSheep
Location: Denver, CO
Gender: Male
| | | | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 5 on 11/21/2005 8:15 PM >
| | | | I'm with uncle goose. I've done a lot of clean-up of cresol. For a short time period, especially if it's cool, I wouldn't worry about inhalation. It's basically the same 'tar' that you get from smoking cigarettes. Both will kill you, but it takes a lot of exposure. However, be sure to wear a long sleave shirt and pants (Not your sunday best. If you get it in your clothes, it's not going to wash out). Not only is it a pain to get out of arm hair, it itches/burns like mad.
---
MrSheep
Noob UEr |
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Jonsered
Location: Back in New Mexico where I belong
Gender: Male
Dressed for a scarecrow ball.........
| |  | | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 7 on 11/21/2005 8:34 PM >
| | | | OK, I'm a little confused. We had a railroad tie manufacturing plant where I live for years, and I strongly believe that ties are treated with creosote, not cresol. I did a little research, and I don't think they are quite the same thing. CREOSOTE is a nasty sticky substance, but unless you eat it or stand in the smoke from burning it, its fairly harmless. The studies I can find say theat most effects are from long-term exposure. CRESOL is a chemical found in creosote, and again doesn't look to be too toxic in small doses. I would be very surprised if the tanks at a railroad tie plant held pure cresol. The links below have a more in depth explanation. On a personal note, I have been exposed to creosote all my life in varying quantities, through building fences, garden sheds, etc. and I feel fine. Except for the facial tic, the lesions on my buttocks, and the third eye.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creosote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cresol
I have changed my personal exploring ethics code. From now on it will be: "Take only aimed shots, leave only hobo corpses." Copper scrappers, meth heads and homeless beware. The Jonsered cometh among you, bringing fear and dread.
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cavemonkey
Location: berthoud,Colorado
Gender: Male
| | | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 8 on 11/22/2005 12:30 AM >
| | | | as far as i have been able to find out it was the manufacturing plant for the stuff and the tanks were holding "pure" chemicals used to manufacture it. how many of the tanks burst and what they were holding at the time is unknown as far as i have been able to figure out.. how pure i dont know but i do know it soaked into the ground and the entire property and 100yds in every direction are considered condemned for the next 80 years. it happened sometime in the early 80s. i figure a respirator and a good set of gloves should be enough protection for at most an hour and a half inside...
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Pleiades
Location: Halifax
Gender: Male
| | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 9 on 11/23/2005 2:57 AM >
| | | | This stuff is probably no worse than things like paint solvents or gasoline, I wouldn't go drinking it, and I wouldn't stick around if the fumes are heavy, and if you wear a mask with organic vapour filters, you should be just fine.
How many times have you filled up the lawnmower or spraypainted something without an organic vapour filter?
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cavemonkey
Location: berthoud,Colorado
Gender: Male
| | | Re: health effects of cresol?
<Reply # 10 on 11/24/2005 10:09 PM >
| | | | never thought about it like that...
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