Fishing Gear and Health Risks

[Barishi]

It all started when I decided to buy a vintage DAM 440N. You know, the one with the asbestos drag discs. Now, being born in the 00s, I never had to worry about asbestos exposure till the postman handed me the package containing my reel. It took quite a bit of assurance from members over on the DAM Quick thread to assauge my concerns. Still, when spooling the 440N for a fishing trip next week, the fear of microscopic needles rattling around, poking holes in my lungs remained in the back of my head.

The way I understand asbestos is that its like smoking. There isn't a safe exposure, just like how breathing in 2nd hand smoke isn't particularly healthy, but not likely to give me a tumour 50 years down the road. Plus, its just 2 brakes discs contained in a spool. Its not much, especially compared to those guys in the mines where asbestos blanketed the floor like a layer of snow.

And its got me thinking: to me, 2 asbestos washers feels like a death warrant, but I have yet to meet the fisherman afraid to handle lead with his bare hands. Heck, I see so many people buying sinker moulds that I'm getting tempted to smelt lead myself. Even better: I don't know how you Californians deal with it, but apparently even the hooks and leader cause cancer in your state!

As a guy not even in his twenties, I'm curious about what the older guys think about these things. I am seriously afraid of dying, and I sure as heck do not want my cause of death to be "DAM Quick Drag Washer" or "6 ounce lead sinker"!

Edit: The old DAMs are really cool reels and I'm getting another to fill a hole in my lineup.

[1badf350]

LOL you'll be fine. Unless asbestos becomes particulate and airborne you have nothing to fear.
 

[Keta]

Watch out for meteors.

I am 70 and worked in industries that used asbestos, acids and other things that will cause long term health issues.  I also played with mercury with my bare hands.

So far my health has been good.

Don't go out of your way to expose your self to toxins but do not let fearanoia control your life. 

BTW, the food we eat and our tap water is most likely worse for us than crimping splitshots with our teeth.

[JasonGotaProblem]

First off, I'm thrilled to know that There's folks on here younger than myself. I really thought at 36 i am the spring chicken around here.

There's nothing wrong with wondering these things. In fact it's probably unwise to dismiss such concerns out of hand. It's easy for a 75 year old retiree to say they're not concerned about the risks. You've got a lot of life left to live.

There's some argument that the dangers of asbestos were overblown for most of the varieties that were commonly used, outside of the military. And my understanding is that the risks are also driven by prolonged exposure. Servicing your drag every now and then probably doesn't count as prolonged exposure.

I personally have no interest in smelting my own lead. And there are chemicals i won't work with at all because the risk isn't worth it.

It seems very common for reel technicians to die of cancer, but too many of them smoke or used to smoke, so it's hard to draw conclusions.

If you're worried about your drags, only work on it outdoors. Wear gloves, and don't lean in for a sniff, regardless how curious you are about what it smells like.

If you're really worried and wanna change, take them out and measure them, while using proper protective measures. And if you have a USA shipping address, pm me those measurements with your mailing address and I'll get you new carbon disks at no cost.

[philaroman]

it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye!!!
but I got over my fear of those really sharp, pointy hooks

[Keta]

Age has nothing to do with it. 

Do not go out of your way to expose yourself to toxins, like spraying insecticide and herbicide around your home and eating highly processed sugar and fat laced foods.

I do not want to look up the statistics but I would bet sugar, alcohol, recreational drugs, and several other "common" things  kill far more people in our country than asbestos, cars and drugs far more. 

Dihydrogen monoxide kills people all of the time, should we avoid being exposed to it too?

Worrying about a tiny bit of asbestos in drag washers is a little overboard.  CF and fiberglass are close to as bad as asbestos.  The "household chemicals" under your sinks are far more hazardous than the drag washers.  Some of the meds doctors are giving us, and in some cases forcing on us, also kill far more people than asbestos exposure, especially with all of the info out on asbestos and a 50 year ban on it.

A quick cure for asbestos fearinoia about drag washers  would be to change out the old washers for greased CF ones.

[Barishi]

Watch out for meteors.

I am 70 and worked in industries that used asbestos, acids and other things that will cause long term health issues.  I also played with mercury with my bare hands.

So far my health has been good.

Don't go out of your way to expose your self to toxins but do not let fearanoia control your life. 

BTW, the food we eat and our tap water is most likely worse for us than crimping splitshots with our teeth.

Didn't some scientist die a horrific death playing with mercury with her hands? You have got to be made out of iron.

[Reeltyme]

Watch out for meteors.

I am 70 and worked in industries that used asbestos, acids and other things that will cause long term health issues.  I also played with mercury with my bare hands.

So far my health has been good.

Don't go out of your way to expose your self to toxins but do not let fearanoia control your life. 

BTW, the food we eat and our tap water is most likely worse for us than crimping splitshots with our teeth.

I'm 65 and it sounds like we lived the same life growing up. I also played with mercury with my bare hands, floated pennies in it. It was amazing! Had my head in more ceilings in hospitals with asbestos ceiling tiles than I care to think about. So far,, knock on wood, still healthy. Asbestos drags,,, don't even think about them. Nothing to worry about.

[Lunker Larry]

I'm 70 and like the others we grew up in an age that either didn't know or didn't concern themselves with a lot of dangers. I played with mercury. It's pretty cool. I also remember using asbestos to mold ashtrays and whatnot in grade school. Try that now days LOL. We washed our hands in gasoline and solvents, drank and smoked like a chimney and somehow my lungs and liver survived though I did quit smoking in 1974. Being careful is smart and a good thing. Just don't turn it into a phobia.
As was mentioned, the drag washers are no threat to you unless your doing something to create fibres or dust and then just wear a mask.
Relax and enjoy your new hobby.

[Barishi]

I'm 70 and like the others we grew up in an age that either didn't know or didn't concern themselves with a lot of dangers. I played with mercury. It's pretty cool. I also remember using asbestos to mold ashtrays and whatnot in grade school. Try that now days LOL. We washed our hands in gasoline and solvents, drank and smoked like a chimney and somehow my lungs and liver survived though I did quit smoking in 1974. Being careful is smart and a good thing. Just don't turn it into a phobia.
As was mentioned, the drag washers are no threat to you unless your doing something to create fibres or dust and then just wear a mask.
Relax and enjoy your new hobby.

They let you play with mercury back in the day? How did you get it? I don't reckon the toy store would just have a couple of vials lying around.

Where do all the asbestos horror stories come from? Every time I search about asbestos on social media there's a lot of people sharing about how someone died painfully from asbestos-induced cancer.

[philaroman]

They let you play with mercury back in the day? How did you get it? I don't reckon the toy store would just have a couple of vials lying around.

don't know what others did, but I "accidently" broke thermometers...  hours of cheap entertainment
("toy source" discovered by pouring boiling water on it to "raise my temperature for school") 

[Midway Tommy]

The health nuts sure do have you paranoid!    If you read the labels on everything everyone in CA should probably be dead by now!    Carefulness and moderation of exposure is the key. 
 

[Finest Kind]

Didn't some scientist die a horrific death playing with mercury with her hands? You have got to be made out of iron.
[/quote]
Barishi- you might be thinking of Marie Curie. She died of radiation poisoning after a lifetime of research on Radium. Won a Nobel prize for her work. If I were to take the California warning labels seriously I would have to give up fishing. But by those standards, what really is safe? I try to use common sense, like I wash my hands after I work on tackle and before I eat anything. Also, is it my imagination, or are the warning labels getting longer and longer? Come on!
John

[steelfish]

......... We washed our hands in gasoline and solvents,....

you're saying we're not supposed to use gasoline to wash out greasy hands after a whole morning working on the car (back in the day when you can fix your own car), now when the car dont want to start up I just open the hood and look at the motor and tons of electronics and cables and say, nothing to do here     

[steelfish]

.If I were to take the California warning labels seriously I would have to give up fishing...

just move to Arizona or New Mexico, they dont have the tons of laws and restrictions of California.