Unless a sander was taken to the tile, any asbestos exposure would have been so minimal as to be less than average environmental exposure from just living in the U.S. in the 1950s.
An active ingredient in citrus oil is also known as orangene. There is another common chemical called limonene used for intense cleaning. Limonene MAY have some good effects but many other components in "non-toxic" orange oil are anything but.
"I've had some luck with citrus oil. It's non-toxic. "
WRONG!!!!!!!!!
"The volatile oil (bitter orange oil) contains more than 90% monoterpenes (main d-limonene, also myrcene, campherr pinene, ocimene, p-cymene, etc.); small amounts of alcohols (linalool, terpinene nerol, farnesol, nerolidol, octanol, etc. usually 0.5–1% aldehydes (mainly decanal also nonanal, dodecanal, citronellal, neral acetaldehyde,
formaldehyde, etc.), and ketones (carvone, α-ionone, and jasmine); free acids (octadecadienoic, pelargonic, cinnamic, acetic, etc.); about 2.4% esters (linalyl acetate, decyl pelargonate, octyl acetate, geranyl acetate, etc.); coumarins (osthole and auraptenol); and others." Source:
Chemical Composition of Orange: Information from Answers.com Any chemist past the first semester will be able to reference similar information.
On a personal note, I have used orangene in the past. Aside from "melting" plastics, the stuff can even migrate through gloves and create a tingling and numbness in the hands. There is no way on G*d's green earth that I would EVER recommend a pregnant woman using it. EVER!
Toxicology of Orange: Information from Answers.com
Which brings me to a meta-point. I am sure openD was just trying to be helpful, but when giving advice it is important to verify first, especially when there is the potential for harm. One of the reasons I read and post in this forum is to bring some reality back to those who have been taken in by the marketing of "green" products. This thread is a PERFECT example of why that balance is needed.
The marketing of attorneys has created unreasonable fear over asbestos, created new laws within the EPA, and a new asbestos abatement industry that is far larger than need be. Yes, asbestos IN THE AIR that gets into lungs can be dangerous. Locked up in a matrix of a floor tile, it has little opportunity to get into the air. With common sense tile removal, there is almost no danger to a mother and ZERO danger to a fetus.
However... Using a "green" product of orange oil, compared to a low V.O.C. mineral spirits is probably on the order of a thousand times more dangerous to mother and fetus than asbestos exposure. Many of the component chemicals have to potential to be mutagenic, carcinogenic, and neurotoxic.
DO NOT TRUST GREEN MARKETING. Every material on the planet is made up of atoms and chemicals - organic chemicals can be even MORE deadly than many inorganic ones. Snake venom is organic. Botulism is organic. Both can be marketed as "all natural." Some products that are green are truly good and useful, but it is up to you to separate the fact from fiction.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
