Harmful dust: from allergies to cancer or the dangers of mineral wool

Mineral wool is probably a building material you are familiar with. It is used for wall insulation and as sound insulation.But do you know how dangerous it is to human health? Manufacturers and sellers claim that mineral wool is an environmentally friendly material made from natural ingredients. Alas, these are just beautiful words from marketers.

What are the dangers of mineral wool

Allergies, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic poisoning of the body, diseases of the nervous system, kidney and liver diseases, and, finally, cancer - this is not a complete list of all the problems that can be encountered when using mineral wool. Let's find out why.

Mineral wool is made from rocks. The material is truly natural. But nature also has its pitfalls. Firstly, during the production process, the rock is melted under the influence of high temperature and stretched into thin fibers. These fibers break easily and release hazardous dust into the air containing oxides of elements such as silicon, aluminum, magnesium, iron, calcium and others. This dust settles quite slowly and easily penetrates into the human lungs.

All these substances are allergens, and, most importantly, have a fibrogenic effect - that is, they cause pulmonary fibrosis. Severe forms of this disease are incurable because the lung tissue is damaged.

In addition to rocks, mineral wool includes slag and charge. This is waste from mining and metallurgical production. They contain compounds of dozens of elements of the periodic table. Among them there are substances containing heavy metals: lead, copper, zinc, nickel and others.

They have a negative impact on almost all human anatomical and functional systems, including the central nervous and cardiovascular systems.

For example, lead is dangerous to the kidneys and circulatory system. Cadmium disrupts metabolism. Excess copper in the body is harmful to the kidneys and liver. Zinc is dangerous for the intestines.

But the most dangerous components of mineral wool are phenol-formaldehyde resins. They are used as a binding agent to preserve the structure of mineral fibers. As the name suggests, phenol-formaldehyde resins are made from phenol and formaldehyde and release these substances into the air. They are both toxic. According to GOST 12.1.007-76 they are assigned the class of highly hazardous substances. For a better understanding, we note that phosgene, used to create chemical weapons, has exactly the same class.

During the operation of mineral wool, phenol vapor and formaldehyde are gradually released from it. Accumulating in the air, they slowly but surely penetrate the human body, causing irritation, allergies, and chronic poisoning. Formaldehyde, among other things, is a carcinogen, that is, it can cause cancer.

Is it worth risking your health by using mineral wool as insulation?