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  3. 191079-2199

Are your records a health concern?

Polemical article on slashgear.com. Any truth in it?

"Then there’s vinyl’s health effects. PVC is carcinogenic, causes damage to nerves and reproductive organs, and often contains additives like lead and cadmium. It exhibits a lifelong, chemical breakdown (known as outgassing) that spits out vinyl chlorides, turning turn your body into a magnet for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Agent Orange is one glaring example of POPs. Musician Benn Jordan tested his own vinyl with an industrial-grade air quality monitor to see just how bad this effect is. Playing newer records for just a couple of minutes led to a sharp rise in unsafe air quality; playing older, more worn vintage records caused the same unsafe levels within moments of setting the record on the platter; shuffling through records (without playing them) led to levels unsafe for short-term inhalation. This was with a handful of records; imagine a shop (or home storage cabinet) full of them."
Do Vinyl Records Actually Sound Better Than CDs? We Take A Closer Look (slashgear.com)

128x128noromance
terry9
2,315 posts
 

But then, The judge and the jury they did agree!

terry9
2,315 posts
 

According to Mastrangelo et al (2003), industrial workers who breathed in high concentrations of PVC dust in an industrial environment had a 20% increased risk of lung cancer for each 2000 hours of exposure.

Doesn’t sound like my listening room. YMMV

mahler123
3,253 posts
 

My LPs were definitely a Health Concern.  I would get so frustrated with pops, clicks and sizzles that drove my blood pressure up 

tablejockey
3,865 posts
 

I've been listening with zero worry with the new outfit. Working on a feeding tube to enjoy a beer.

Getting visitors to put one on is challenging.

 

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terry9
2,315 posts
 

The article also addresses Mahler's point: "(is) vinyl ... the superior listening medium? Spoiler alert: it's not ..." Which, it seems to me, tells you all you need to know about this source.

But, to address his major point, a little perspective helps. Consider a short list of things that off-gas bad stuff: plastic flooring, synthetic carpets, furniture, construction glue, caulking, plastic window frames, plastic siding, some insulation, many paints and varnishes, most plywood, shower curtains, plastic blinds, cleaning products, car interiors (for extended periods of exposure), and foam mattresses (for 8 hours of continuous close exposure - every night). Automobiles. Trucks. Power plants. Refineries. Of course, with exceptions.

IMO.

 

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