Chemical Hazards and Bike Repair

Triathlon Forum
1

I recently found out about a former co-worker who passed away from cancer. He suspected that his condition, which came out of nowhere, had something to do to his 15 years of exposure to chemicals used at his workplace, the repair room of a bike shop.

There is little evidence that this was the genuine cause of his condition, but it got me thinking about the heallth and envrionmental impacts associated with maintaining a bicycle.

I am not suggesting that these chemicals prioduce an enormous health risk. But I have come to realize that there is almost no information out there about what we use to fix our bikes. White Lightning Clean Streak for instance, anyone who uses it knows that it can’t be good, but I can’t find a shred of information why. There aren’t even material safety data sheets provided for the product.

This brings me to my questions?

1.Does anyone suspect that their health/performance was ill effected by a product they used to repair their bicycle?

  1. Any chemists or experts in the area who can comment on the health/environmental impacts of products used in the cycling industry? Any resources on the subject I can look into?

  2. Do you have data or evidence to suggest these concerns are without merit?

Lets hear what you think!

2

Where to begin. First, I’m saddened to hear about your friend passing from cancer; the disease has hit my family hard of late.

You are right to be concerned about exposures to chemicals and physical agents as well. Everyone should take steps to minimize their contact with the typical cleaning and lubricating chemicals you find in any bike or auto shop. This means using nitrile gloves mostly when using solvents and making sure you work in well ventilated areas. Another hazard most people don’t think about as much is dust generated by using buffing wheels to polish and clean parts. Many of those particulates are quite hazardous as well. Again, good local exhaust for the buffing wheel or at a minimum, wearing a two strap dust respirator, would be the appropriate protection.

Here’s the problem though, within the human population there is a great deal of variability in terms of resistance to the wide range of cancers. All anyone can do is take steps to put the odds in their favor by taking the above precautions. That, and eating a balanced diet, not smoking, keep stress to a moderate level, blah , blah, blah will help tremendously…however, some folks who do all those things might still get cancer. Many different triggers and many different levels of resistance spells no guarantees.

You can’t live your life in fear; there are airborne exposures outside you have no control over, there are exposures you received as a kid no one could have foreseen but if you take reasonable steps to do the things you can, you will at least be able to live a little less stressed out by what the future holds.

Here’s what I do (and by the way, occupational health and safety are my profession), and take the reasonable steps I described and I tell myself people in this country have never lived so long as they do now, safety is better, medical care is better (OK, if you are lucky), education about these risks is better. You are living here, in this time, not in the time of cholera, typhus, polio, scarlet fever, plague, smallpox, etc. Make the most of it, be smart, don’t obsess, and most of all SWIM, BIKE, AND RUN.