It's been over three hours, a large ice tea on the way home and dinner and my tong still feels like I spent the day at a salt lick!

Entered the crawlspace of a 2002 home and cloud of white dust went up into my face. Only a couple of breaths and I backed out to get cartridge respirator for the rest of the inspection. The white dust is on top of the moisture barrier and through the entire crawlspace. Seller is out of town so couldn't ask what it is.

With this stuff in the crawlspace it is not possible to service the furnace or air-handler.

Am I gonna die???

Die, probably not. Cancer, maybe. I'd want to know. Scrape some into a baggie and send it off for testing. Hope you end upall good. Probably rodent killer.

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After reading this, it really makes me realize I need to start wearing a mask in crawlspaces.

Don't scare the guy! Cancer highly unlikely from a single exposure.

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I really did not expect this in a new house! Still salty taste, think I'll switch to beer!

Vern what you got into was diatomaceous earth for flea control or some other target pest.

It will dry out your mouth for a time it is an organic pesticide... You will be OK YOUR NOT GOING TO DIE...

But you should check with he owner and his pest control company as some one is just dumping the stuff at the access and not doing there job correctly

Look it up on Google for more inforation. get lots of water the eat some fresh Mex and PEPERS... L.O.L. And you will forget about the diatomaceous earth same stuff for pool filters.

Best

Ron

You crawled into a crawl space with white powder on the ground without a respirator.

Do you WANT to die!!!

You have any idea of what kind of junk people put in their crawl spaces or naturally occurring substances in there"

Only YOU can choose what level of risk you expose yourself too!

I do walk roofs, speed (a bit) and a couple of others. My choice.


-

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Erby Crofutt, Georgetown, KY - Read my Blog here: Erby the Central Kentucky Home Inspector
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Thanks Ron, It only took one breath and I was backing out for a respirator. This actually could help with my diet! Salty taste to go with the beer and no peanut calories..

Ron,

It may not have been just DE powder. Many PC companies have dusted under homes with FICAM, Boric acid powders, Tempo dust and others.

I seriously doubt that a one time exposure is going to cause any problem but maybe some irritations to the nose and throat for a day or so.

If anyone opens a crawlspace entry and see's any dust thats a sure reason on why you should have a respirator on.

rick

Vern Rick is correct they do mix stuff. You should check with the owner and his pest guy...Wack job...

Even at that Your still not going to DIE... Sorry...

Best

Ron

Only time will tell.

They might find ole Vern on his back curled up like a dead cockroach.

Rick is looking for a few more inspection this month.

Best

Ron

Vern,

I have seen lime used under homes after a sewage spill. I have never tasted it, so I don't know if it is salty. Ron's guess on DE might be more accurate.

Yes, you are going to die. We all are. Hopefully not today though.

__________________
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of Smart?

I've spread lime before and it isn't lime.

Thanks to all for the input, sorry to hear I'm going to die though. I have always been hopping for immortality .

Owner is out of town so without knowledge of what it is this is what went in the report:

A white powder substance was found on the surface of the vapor barrier throughout the crawlspace. The powder is a respiratory irritant and will prevent entry for maintenance and repair. Recommend inquiring with the seller to identify the material. Recommend removal of the powder to allow maintenance and repair of the furnace and air-handler.

Lime was my first thought too

So far so good

Old Vern *WILL* die, either that or he has figured out how to live forever, in which case he would be hawking his formula on the internet and no longer doing inspections.

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )
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Please send ALL of your money to me and I will let you know how I did it.

I am living proof that it works!

1) Hope you are OK!

2) Personally, back in the day when there was a possibility I would be exposing my tong to hazardous conditions, I made it a point to always bring all recommended safety equipment to the job site.

__________________
Michael Thomas
Paragon Property Services Inc., Chicago IL
http://paragoninspects.com

I don't know about youse guys, but if your tong is good enough to play use over fire, hot burners, and BBQ, there should not be any problem with getting some white powder on it.

Personally I am wondering how a tong is used. I know how tongs are used, but to just have one half of them ... ???

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )
www.AskCodeMan.com

Well, based on a quick Google search, which turns up mostly patent applications, it appears that the grasping and manipulation of a "tubular member" is typically involved, for example:

"The tong which rotates the section of the tubular member is typically referred to as the power tong.. "

"A new power tong for rotating tubular members for make-up (connection) and break-out (disconnection) operations..."

"The automated tong positioning system maneuvers any size of hydraulic power tongs precisely around the tubular member during...pulling operations..."

IMO seems a bit excessive for daily use, though:

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Paragon Property Services Inc., Chicago IL
http://paragoninspects.com

It was thpelled that way cauth it wath numb

I talked to the seller yesterday while picking up radon monitor. She was miffed that I had suggested removal of the dust product she has spread in the crawlspace every year. I told her I couldn't taste anything after one breath of the stuff but that didn't seem to bother her. She said it is called Dryon, don't know if the spelling is correct. Googled it but came up with nothing that sounds like it. Anybody know what it is?

Vern,

It is Drione. Used plenty of the stuff.

Years ago, we used to take a duster machine and fill it with about 5lbs. of insecticidal dust and stick that machine in the crawlspace and let her rip.

We wait till we saw dust blowing out from the crawlspace vents, the place looked like it was on fire.

Now as a home inspector, you can bet your arse I wear a respirator on all pier and beams. I've started bidding so high on a pier and beam inspections cause I could really care less if I do one of those or not.

rick

Good morning, All –

Just this week, I wrapped up a pyrethrin exposure assessment of a elderly woman in an home.

The identification of compounds in this family of pesticides can be somewhat confusing due to similar sounding names for different compounds. Pyrethrum is the naturally occurring extract found in some Chrysanthemums. Pyrethrum has long been recognized as possessing insecticidal properties. There are six natural active insecticidal compounds of pyrethrum and these are called the pyrethrins. As technology progressed, industry discovered ways to artificially alter the chemical structure of the pyrethrins to make them more stable in the environment and to enhance other qualities to improve their use as pesticides. These altered compounds, are called pyrethroids; and are synthetic analogs and derivatives of the original pyrethrins; each pyrethroid has one or more trades names.

I believe that Drione is a pyrethrin - Since the structural variations associated with modifications seen in the pyrethrins is large, the toxicology associated with the pyrethrins similarly extends across a broad range of responses. However, the signs and symptoms of adverse physiological responses associated with acute exposures to different pyrethrins are similar.(1)

A World Health Organization review of hundreds of cases of acute pyrethrin poisoning due to occupational or accidental exposure revealed symptoms that included a sensation of burning, itching, and tingling of the skin, which resolved after several hours.

The systemic symptoms included dizziness, headache, nausea, anorexia, and fatigue; vomiting was most common in cases due to ingestion of pyrethrins. Although less frequently reported, tightness of the chest, paraesthesia, palpitation, blurred vision, and increased sweating were observed in some cases. Coarse muscular fasciculations were observed in more serious cases. Convulsions and coma can also result from acute poisoning with pyrethrins. (2)

Industrial Hygienists calculate body burdens and express the amount as a dose. The estimated dose can be compared with a “reference dose” (RfD). An RfD is the conservatively estimated upper dose which an average person may receive everyday for their entire lives without an observable adverse physiological effect. The RfD does NOT take into account a specific person’s susceptibility, volume of health, personal toxicology, or any other person-specific trait -(so I can't predict the actual effects on Vern). Rather, the RfD merely provides the Industrial Hygienist with a milestone to allow the Industrial Hygienist to apply a description of the reported value as “high” or “low” or “significant” or “normal” or some other subjective term that can be used to place the reported value into context. Although I haven’t looked up the RfD for drione, the RfD for the pyrethrin I studies in the woman’s house was 0.25 mg/kg/d. (3) So if Vern is a normal weight, then that would be a whopping 17 mg. Which is a lot, frankly.

Vern, although I don’t know what your particular exposure was on that day, I can say with absolute certainty:

“Vern, yer gonna die, Brother.”

Cheers!
Caoimhín P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
Forensic Industrial Hygiene

References:

(1)World Health Organization Toxicological evaluation of certain veterinary drug residues in food. WHO Food Additives Series 39. Cyfluthrin. Prepared for the forty-eighth meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), World Health Organization, Geneva (1997). Current as of November 19, 2007

(2) ToxNet, HSDB and other published sources associated with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30341

(3) US EPA, Office of Water, Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories, 2002 (Publication number: EPA 822-R-02-038)

(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)

AMDG

Caoimhín, thanks for the info, I think?
How do you pronounce your name so I can let family know who to inform?

to all

always put a respirator on your mug in attics and crawl spaces before you go in. fiber glass insulation when inhaled,will never leave your lungs. just look at your picture in the attic, seee those white specs.well your sucking it in. crawl spaces , mouse poo,dust, insulation,what vern incountered,mold.

just do it--good health to all

charlie

RH: No truer words were ever spoken.

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