Does glass fiber affect human health？

When talking about glass fiber, asbestos is always mentioned. Glass fiber replaces asbestos because of its higher performance. Asbestos is generally regarded as a very unhealthy material, and lung cancer is closely related to it. So is glass fiber as harmful to the human body as asbestos?

Although some areas listed glass fiber as a potential carcinogen, countless experiments have not clearly shown that glass fiber is carcinogenic. And even workers who produce glass fibers in the workshop are not more likely to develop cancer than those who have not been exposed to glass fibers.

Glass Fiber vs Asbestos Fiber

There are two main forms of glass fiber harm to the human body

One is to inhale glass fiber

There is a big difference between glass fiber and asbestos fiber. Glass fiber is a single fiber, while asbestos appears in bundles. Therefore, when the human body inhales these two kinds of fibers, the glass fiber will become extremely small due to breakage. Generally, the human body will be excreted by coughing and other methods if it is stimulated. , The glass fiber will be deposited in the small air sacs, and the alveoli will capture the dust particles in the lungs, so the glass fiber can be expelled from the body.

However, asbestos only breaks longitudinally, so asbestos fibers will be very slender and will stimulate lung tissue, and the alveoli will be closed and cannot be discharged, eventually leading to lung fibrosis. Long-term accumulation and stimulation are also one of the causes of cancer.

The other is skin damage

Glass fiber can also cut the skin, irritate our eyes and skin, and may also cause skin allergies and inflammation. However, it has not been confirmed whether it is glass fiber or other chemicals in the process that cause skin inflammation. But this generally only exists in the production process. In reality, almost no products are made of only glass fiber. Generally, glass fiber is used as a reinforcing material and other materials to produce products, so products are rarely caused by Break and release glass fiber to harm the human body.

How to avoid?

In the production process, the staff should wear regular work clothes or long-sleeved trousers, try to avoid skin exposure, wear goggles and dust masks. After work, you should change into clean clothes and wash your skin.

If the skin has been glued to the glass fiber, you can use tape to gently paste it to absorb the glass fiber on the skin, and then rinse it off with warm water. If it enters the eyes, it should be rinsed with saline or running water slowly. Those who feel unwell should seek medical attention immediately.

Therefore, glass fiber is an inorganic non-metallic material, and its chemical nature is not harmful to the human body. The pollution of glass fiber to the environment is dust pollution. Fiberglass products actually exist in every corner and every aspect of our lives, so we don't have to worry too much.

How to judge whether there is "dust" of glass fiber around?

Check the exhaust vents of air supply systems such as air conditioners in your home for any unusual dust and stains. The glass fiber will flicker under the sun, especially at night when you can use a flashlight to illuminate it, you will obviously find the flickering glass fiber , This is also the easiest way to judge the dirt and dust in life.

If your home has just been renovated or disassembled, especially if you have purchased low-quality insulation materials, you should pay attention to whether people or pets have special discomfort or skin problems. If so, you can consider whether it is glass fiber dust during the decoration process.

So if the glass fiber product you use is a product with lower performance, such as a common yellow or pink thermal insulation material, in order to avoid unnecessary risk of inhaling glass fiber, we should not damage its surface, even if you are ready to discard it.