Rock Wool

Yes. Any microfiber is not good for your lungs, if inhaled.

Asbestos is a mineral, or rock.

Make sure that the supplier assures you that it is safe.

Don't breathe ANY microfibers, no matter the material.

It's not as dangerous as asbestos. Treat it like you would fiberglass insulation, and wear a particle mask if you're using it dry. Once it's wet, it's harmless.

What evidence do you have that rock wool is less dangerous than asbestos? I'm not looking for consensus of doctors, or regulations from the epa, but actual respectable scientific evidence. Is there any? If so what?

Do you remember the outright panic that ran through the government, when they finally decided that asbestos is dangerous?

Spending billions on ripping apart schools and all public buildings, where the asbestos was safely contained under layers of paint, or locked in floor tile?

If rockwool was as dangerous as asbestos, the morons that run our government would be chasing down every last piece of it, and spending billions more in the process.

This chick did a nice job of collecting studies:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass-traps-acoustic-panels-foam-etc/347314-comparative-safety-rockwool-fiberglass-organic-fibers-review.html

I do not remember any panic in our government. I worked with asbestos from the beginning. I've dealt with the bureaucrats. I dealt with and have had long discussions with the people (Seagull Corp) who were hired to review the research. What I do remember are very intelligent, clever, not extremely ethical, ambitious people who could use the english language to convey the opposite of what they said. OSHA had recently (1972) built a huge bureaucracy through the newspapers by showing how bad we are and how they are saving the poor worker. But with a lot of bad press (Osha really did do a lot to improve what needed to be improved). The EPA were sly enough to get everyone on their side first. They chose to start with an industry that couldn't imagine that the government bureaucracy would deliberately mislead. They had no scruples about how they did it. They didn't care what it would cost the American people or about the industry they destroyed.

I'll cut to the chase. The information you quoted and the website you proffered show that certain materials are safe when not extremely misused. The asbestos industry could and did show the same things. One is not safer than the other.

I have a friend that made good money in asbestos abatement...problem is, the government should have left it alone, because the workers are now getting sick.

The information you quoted and the website you proffered show that certain materials are safe when not extremely misused.

No sh*t. I could die a hundred times with what's stored under my kitchen sink, and purchased from the grocery store.

You don't remember the asbestos scare?

http://spiderjohnson.com/asbestos.html

I'm full of it, and living a limited life, if the stories are true....which they probably are.

But if I die from mesothelioma when I'm 75...so what? Should my wife sue the government?

I'm fine with the government warning me about stuff, (and in the case of my asbestose exposure, they were responsible), but they really have to stop trying to control everybody.

"...If rockwool was as dangerous as asbestos, the morons that run our government would be chasing down every last piece of it...."

.

That statement seems to be at conflict with itself. How can you be certain that if the danger exists 'morons' would be capable of recognizing it as such?

no

Rock wool when dry is dusty when you open the bag, the eyes get a good dose of green! The lungs don't like having it in them! Wet the product with the right solution for proporgation of seedlings(research the brand of rock wool your using/ some are different - ph requirements and such). When you finish with the proporgation bag the rockwoll straight away, when you remove it from your greenhouse trough system(it powders really easily when dry). If you wring the solution from it, wash your hands and legs thoroughly, And don't put your clothes directly into the washing machine, run them under the hose. Rock wool isn't good for you, the fruits of your labour are. Heat matts are great for proporgation, rock wool holds a lot of moisture and is usually not recommended for seedling starting. Read a good hydroponic suppliers handbook or visit a website to find other suitable products, eg panty hoes. Cotton wool, that's really getting back to preschool days.

Just a couple of advantages of rockwool for propagation is that it is relatively sterile, and in a production environment, a lot more efficient than trying to make small cubes from soil. While this may not make sense for the home gardener, if you ran a greenhouse, you'd appreciate the time savings, as well as protection from loss from damping off of seedlings.

Rockwool will not cause silicosis. Other hazards of any dust generating material may exist.

http://www.rockwool.cn/files/RW-CN/Why%20Insulate/MSDS.pdf

Rock wool insulation is treated for fire and insect control. Do not use it. A rock wool type product is available online, at some retailers and hydroponic shops and a company called growers supply. It is not very expensive.