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Asbestos in circuit boards.

Discussion in 'General Electronics' started by Richie, Jun 4, 2004.

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  1. Richie

    Richie Guest

    I have just started to make my own PCBs. I read that the dust produced
    when drilling the holes can be hazardous. Does anyone know why, do the
    boards contain asbestos or something?
  2. Ken Taylor

    Ken Taylor Guest

    Usually fiberglass.

  3. JeffM

    JeffM Guest

    I read that the dust produced when drilling [PCBs] can be hazardous.
    PCBs are made of fiberglass and epoxy.
    Breathing tiny bits of fiberglass in no better for you
    than is breathing asbestos bits.
  4. WDino

    WDino Guest

    Actually the problem with asbestos is different to that of fibreglass.
    Asbestos can lodge in any crevice such as the lungs (full of them). And
    it stays there, so scar tissue forms around it and eventually cancer occurs.
    With fibreglass, it is coarser and so less likely to find its way into
    the same sort of crevices. Secondly the body tends not to form scar
    tissue around it but instead rejects it and eventually expels it.
    Which is not to say that it can't happen. But is much rarer for scar
    tissue and so cancer to form from fibreglass residue.

    But fibreglass and the epoxies used with it can cause other breathing
    problems. So? Don't breath it in!
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