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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Thomas Grizzle" <griz AT mindspring.com>
  • To: <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] ocba Digest, Vol 95, Issue 14
  • Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:30:43 -0500

Hi All,

Responding briefly to the discussion on the use of formic acid, certainly in
high concentrations on the wrong tissue (eyes, for example), FA can be
harmful. If you are working with the liquid on an industrial scale
(multiple hives, working all day, etc.), some kind of eye protection (safety
glasses with splash guards) might be a good idea, along with a water bottle
nearby to flush the eyes out if you get an exposure. If you are using a
veil, the bee veil itself should also protect the eyes, making glasses
unnecessary. Skin should be flushed with water too if you get a splash onto
bare skin. FA is readily soluble in water.

Given that "bee people" are almost 100% outdoors with the FA, I do not think
that inhalation exposures you might incur would be high enough to be
considered hazardous, and definitely not compared to something like exposure
to first/second hand smoke or if you drink alcohol (all proven human
carcinogens). If you start to smell it, I suggest you move away until it
clears, then return if you are concerned. Coincidentally, FA is a component
of bee stings, and Wikipedia says that the word Formic originates from a
Latin word for a distillate of insect bodies. Forests off-gas a lot of
formic acid, it also says, so just walking in the woods, we incur some
inhalation exposure, and that is fine. We metabolize (break it down) it
quickly and excrete it's harmless by-products (CO2 + H2O).

Anyway, there's no harm in using respirators, but it is probably overkill,
in my humble opinion. Hot too!

Tom Grizzle, MS, DABT
(Diplomate, American Board of Toxicology)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:03:24 -0500
From: Chris and Lisa Laudeman <chrisandlisa AT laudeman.com>
Subject: [ocba] Repiratory protection and beekeepers - topic from last
meeting
To: OCBA <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID:
<CADTEKLr0P2wdE8g75K-cZC=JXHUPY8GQ4u=mFjd7_y-toOhw3w AT mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hello Beekeepers,

At last week's meeting, Geneva brought up the issue of protecting ourselves
from things like formic acid while treating hives. The discussion quickly
turned to "respirators" and the need for full face protection to protect our
eyes as well as lungs.

However, some significant issues quickly came up. After chatting with
Geneva, she asked if I would post a note about this. . .especially since I
have a viable and maybe affordable solution.

While formic acid is not among the nastiest things I might work with, it is
volatile and corrosive, especially in pure form, and especially for eyes,
lungs, and mucous membranes. It's also somewhat toxic. If you are using
it, you certainly should be aware of the hazards and taking some
precautions.

A full face respirator can afford excellent protection against an organic
vapor like formic acid, but there are some deal-killer issues with a
respirator for the average beekeeper. To ensure proper function and safety
with a respirator, you need to have a lung function test, chest x-ray, and
approval from a qualified physician.
Then you need to have a respirator fit test and cannot have a beard or razor
stubble. Respirators are expensive and need to be cleaned after each use,
stored carefully, and occasionally inspected and fit-tested.
The good ones are expensive too.

However, there is an alternative that is not only approved by safety
authorities but also reasonably accessible to average folks: A powered air
purifying respirator. It's basically a hood with a face shield that is
supplied with purified air by a pump system. There are many varieties. For
a beekeeper, the basic requirements would be battery powered and organic
vapor rated. I would also want simple and lightweight.

Here is an appropriate example from 3M marketed for painters (of course I'm
not endorsing anything here):
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/PPESafetySolutions/PPESafety/Per
sonal_Protective_Equipment/Product_Catalog/~/3M-Belt-Mounted-PAPR-Painter-s-
Kit-GVP-PSK2-37335-AAD-1-Case?N=4294698593+5011378&Nr=AND%28hrcy_id%3APGTC60
33RZgs_2NVXB3T4PX_N2RL3FHWVK_GPD0K8BC31gv%29&loc=en_US&plmlblid=127368423925
4&rt=d

Boy that's a long URL link. I hope it works. That's 3M product number
GVP-PSK2 in case you need to look it up that way. I'm sure we can find
something comparable that is cheaper.

They still have issues: expense, replacing cartridges, cleaning, etc., but
the discussion can carry on from here if folks think this is something they
are interested in.

Take care,

Chris


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End of ocba Digest, Vol 95, Issue 14
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