Pulmonary fibrosis is often described as a “hardening” of the lungs. It is a condition that occurs due to an accumulation of scar tissue in the lungs. Scar tissue doesn’t expand and contract nearly as well as normal lung tissue, therefore the lungs start losing the elasticity that makes them function properly. They also lose gas transfer ability as the small air sacs (alveoli) are damaged by scarring from sharp-edged particles. As the condition progresses, the patient finds breathing difficult and painful. The last few days are spent gasping and waiting for death to come.
Scar tissue in the lungs often develops due to small abrasions from inhaling quantities of pollutants such as dust or smoke. When you do that over time, the damage accumulates. You can’t cough this stuff back out of your lungs; whatever goes in tends to stay in. Those abrading particles are not smooth balls that can roll right back out; they are like the hooks at the end of a fishing line.
But you don’t have to inhale particles directly to get the damage. Various kinds of vapors, all of which you can keep out of your lungs, can cause irreversible damage. If you inhale varnishes that harden in your lungs, they may break into sharp particles that cut lung tissue and convert it to scar tissue.
Prevention
This bit of background on pulmonary fibrosis helps you to understand that keeping particles and damaging vapors (including varnishes or similar compounds that may harden in the lungs) out of your lungs is the main strategy to prevent the illness. So, what are practical ways you can make that strategy work?
- Don’t smoke anything. This includes pipes, cigarettes, doobies, or whatever else you might burn and inhale. All of these produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including benzene, ethylbenzene, styrene, toluene, and xylenes.
- Don’t vape. Those “safe” e-cigarettes contain the same lung-wrecking VOCs that tobacco products do, plus they often contain other lung-damaging compounds.
- Use a respirator. If you can’t adequately ventilate when using any kind of fuel, paint, or solvent, then you will need to wear (at least) a well-fitting respirator with a canister filter.
- Keep your face averted. When fueling a gasoline-powered vehicle, tool, or generator, keep your face a respectable distance away so you aren’t breathing in the toluene and other compounds in the vapors. Ensure adequate ventilation if refueling indoors. If you can smell the gas, you’re doing something wrong.
- Ventilate when using flammable substances. If using an oil-based sealant or the mineral spirits used to clean up, ensure adequate ventilation. Any rags, sponges, or brushes used will be highly flammable until fully dry. During that time, they can also emit sufficient fumes to damage your lungs. You may be able to seal them in a metal can until they can be properly disposed of. Check the applicable Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for whatever is being used in your immediate vicinity, whether you or someone else is using it. Protect yourself per the SDS.
- Ventilate when painting. If using a spray can of paint or lacquer, you need adequate ventilation. And not just during the spraying operation, but during the time the finish is setting up. That could be a full day or longer (same thing for oil-based applications).
- Do not rely on a KN95 mask or similar to protect you from varnishes or VOCs. A KN95, by definition, filters out up to 95% (that’s what the 95 means) of particles 0.300 microns or larger. Think of it as good protection against dust and pollen, but only if you have a good fit (pinch that nose clip!). To get an idea of its limitations, consider that it will not protect you against mold spores because they are too small for the mask to filter out.
- If you work around dust, try to control it at its source. This is especially important for metal dust. Most types of saws, grinders, and similar tools now come with dust collection attachments. Use those and most of the problem is solved. Wear the appropriate PPE (in this case, a well-fitting KN95 mask or similar is usually sufficient), but as a supplement to dust control rather than as the primary defense.
- Breathe through your nose. Noise hairs help, via electrostatic charges, to remove particles from the incoming air stream. Mucus also helps to remove particles from the incoming air stream. And there’s a big clue. If you find your nose running while you’re grinding or cutting, you are doing something wrong. But don’t conclude you’re OK if it’s not running.
- Drive slowly. This is especially true if driving on a construction site with gravel roads; you don’t want to kick up dust that you and others will breathe.
The big takeaway here is that you always need to consider what you may be pulling into your lungs other than normal clean air. Take precautions to reduce, contain, or eliminate that “bad stuff” at its source. Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as a backup to these other measures. Don’t guess at the PPE; know what it does versus what you need it to do for the airborne particles or vapors you may encounter.
