Working with hazardous chemicals and hair loss

[stormshadow]

I'm an enviornmental health specialist for a living. I have to analyze water etc and collect water samples from various bodies of water (ocean, lakes etc). Some of the chemicals I work with when I analyze are acids (hydrochloric etc).

Basically, I take a vile filled with a tiny bit of acid and I fill it up with water. I then take it to the lab for further analyzation.

Today I received the MSDS information on these chemicals (fact sheet on health hazards). Some of the long term effects are staggering. My concerns are that some of these chemicals will cause things such as : hair loss, wrinkles, pre-aging etc over time.

Am I overeacting? I know scientists and lab techs work with chemicals all the time and have no ill effects done to their skin. I've been doing this job for 3 years, but have only been working with the acids for 6 months. The possible exposure to the vapors is what worries me.

Opinions, advice? Am I overreacing? (note* I do have obsessive compulsive disorder/anxiety disorders to begin with)

 

[Cassin]

Honestly who knows for sure?

One would think though that it would be patchy fall out and you would have to be exposed to a lot of it, and you would see some of your co-workers with the problem and not just you. Also, wouldn't you think that you would have been warned by your company that this is a common problem and not just had seen it on the Material Safety Data Sheet? Don't MSDS have a poison control number you can call for reasurrance? More than likely you'll get a stoned 18 year old at a call center for general questions I suppose.

Regardless, I would just make sure your taking plenty of Anti-Oxidants.

On a side note, my friend works with his grandfather cleaning pools for a living in the swimming seasons. He has done this since Junior high. Obviously he uses a massive amounts of hydrochloric acid, no hairloss. And they just open the cap and dump it in with no regard to safety.