Trelja- I DO(and did) know the difference between silicone and silica, as(again) is obvious by the fact that I correctly used the term "silica" correctly twice elsewhere in my post(as the meanest of intellects would have noticed- No points for you there). Who ever mentioned "silicon" anywhere before you/now(another attempted spin)? TRY(though it's obviously impossible for you) to focus on the original issues. YOU made statements in your original post in regards to vacuum tube components that I challenged. Everything contained therein IS found in nature, and mostly elemental(gold, silver, copper, barium, nickel, zinc, carbon, chromium) none of which are "synthetics" by any stretch of the imagination(something you are blatantly long on)though they all do need some processing before use. Mica is also quite "natural", being taken from the ground and used almost as-is. Steel(as I mentioned in my first post and since you only see what you want to see: missed) is an alloy, BUT- that used in our tubes is a very simple mild steel that WOULD rust and eventually break down into it's original elemental components(return to nature). The glass you mentioned in your alarmist post is also simple glass(NOT some exotic blend or anything you've concocted) and(as mentioned in my post) of the same chemical composition as quartz and sand(YES Sparky- SILICA and oxygen) NOT a "synthetic". The point is: EVERYTHING in the average vacuum tube is quite harmless with regards to the ecology. YOU used the term, "bio-degradable"(which has NOTHING to do with "benign") in your first post. Only "organics" are "bio-degradable" by definition, so obviously: nothing in a vacuum tube COULD be! You've twice artfully danced around my challenge of your sulfuric-acid-not-being-found-in-nature(in any quantity) statement. No doubt the natural composition of the atmosphere of Venus(or acid rain) is too much truth for you to handle and respond to. Twist, spin and turn a bit more. It's mildly amusing!