Posts by Timothy Vaughn44

I’m having a little trouble wrapping my head around this response 😕

I’ve been wondering about something lately—since those soft-shell contact lenses aren't supposed to touch water, how on earth are people supposed to wash their faces without taking them out? And don't even get me started on things like scuba diving or swimming...

I deal with those nasty swellings too... though for me, the swelling doesn't really kick in until a few days later. At first, it’s actually even worse—just this massive red bump about two inches wide. I’ve currently got one on my arm and a couple more scattered across my legs; they itch like crazy and hurt so much when you touch them. It’s been happening since last year, which is weird because it never used to be like this. Usually, the whole thing lasts about ten days before it finally clears up completely.
I honestly find myself wondering where all the normal mosquitoes went—you know, the ones that just leave a little redness and a tiny itch.🙄
I can't say for certain it's from mosquitoes, but it probably is. I don't see anything unusual around the house, yet I keep getting bitten indoors. The thing is, I don't even feel the bite happen; the mark just suddenly appears out of nowhere. This happened around this same time last year and again now, so I'm curious—if it isn't your run-of-the-mill mosquito, what else could it be?
I don't think it's the tiger mosquitoes, because I've seen those elsewhere and they're pretty easy to spot, whereas I don't see anything at all here.
I just applied some yeast to the area at home and it actually seems to be helping.☕
And just for the record, I don't have any allergies.

Either way, those two deductible amounts end up being less than $67

You really ought to get treated too, because you both need to be on a course of Medazol tablets to clear this up. I’m not entirely sure if you can just pick them up over the counter, but I wouldn't bet on it... though your primary care doctor or her OBGYN could probably write you a prescription if they take your word for it, or maybe if you show them her test results or her current prescription so they can see exactly what's going on.
By the way, if you want to double-check whether there are any unwanted "residents" hanging around, you should get a swab test done. You can go through a local public health clinic with a referral or just head to a private urgent care center. It’s definitely not the most glamorous experience, to say the least...

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has been around for over 70 years now, and it’s easily one of the heavy hitters in the polymer world, making up about 20% of the entire global polymer market. Even though there are plenty of technical hurdles and economic headaches involved in making it—not to mention all the pushback from environmentalists regarding the risks of chlorine chemistry and its impact on nature—experts estimate that global demand for PVC will keep climbing at an annual rate of 4.5% through 2010. Essentially, PVC is created by polymerizing vinyl chloride (VC) using free-radical processes, which can be done via suspension, emulsion, or mass polymerization. On a global scale, about 80% of what we see comes from suspension polymerization, with 12% coming from emulsion and 8% from mass polymerization. In the suspension method, the monomer—which is liquefied vinyl chloride—gets mechanically dispersed into water and undergoes polymerization using a soluble initiator within the monomer, along with some protective colloids. It’s a batch process carried out in a closed system. From an environmental standpoint, modern suspension polymerization actually deals with relatively few issues; the biggest concern was the carcinogenicity of the vinyl chloride monomer, which came to light back in 1973. Once the global public was alerted, technologists, doctors, and scientists jumped into action to find solutions, effectively eliminating the risk of monomer emissions during production, protecting workers from exposure to carcinogenic VC, and preventing high concentrations of residual monomer in the final product. Strict maximum limits for VC concentrations have since been established. Thanks to today's manufacturing methods—like stripping and recovering unreacted vinyl chloride, de-monomerizing the polymer suspension, treating wastewater, and maintaining tight control over the whole production cycle—facilities can operate safely, allowing PVC to be used reliably in everything from food packaging and pharmaceuticals to medical supplies.

I suppose, just like with pretty much anything else, you'll always have people claiming one thing or another, and honestly, a lot of it feels like they try to sweep things under the rug because, well, can you even imagine life in America without plastic? Not to mention the massive profits being made off of it, of course. 🙄

I can't seem to track down that specific research booklet regarding the carcinogenicity of vinyl chloride...😢
I think for the most part Polyvinyl chloride isn't carcinogenic itself, but monovinyl chloride (MVC) definitely is—and I believe it's actually a procarcinogen. At room temperature, MVC turns into vapor, so it's basically a gas. If I recall correctly from reading that booklet, there were stories about factory workers in plastic manufacturing who ended up passing away from cancer. Generally, anyone working in those synthesis chambers where they produce Polyvinyl and inhale those vapors over several years ends up facing serious health risks. That was specifically about the raw production side of things, though, so I'm not entirely sure if making finished plastic products carries the exact same level of risk.
Of course, the damage scales up with long-term exposure, but even short-term contact isn't something you want to take lightly, so my best advice is just to stay far away from that line of work altogether.
As for what happens when you burn Polyvinyl chloride, I'd guess it releases MVC.😢
When it comes to MVC poisoning, it's linked to a rare type of liver cancer, so honestly, the smartest move for your future is to get regular liver checkups, like routine blood work and screenings.
It would also be a really good idea to consult an occupational medicine specialist; they are the real experts on this stuff since it falls directly under their umbrella. In fact, it was an occupational specialist who originally handed me that research booklet about MVC carcinogenicity among factory workers, as they specialize in all those illnesses tied to specific workplaces.
Anyway, here is some info I found online about vinyl chloride and its impact on your wellbeing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinyl_c...Health_effects

Did you happen to inhale actual PVC or was it more likely vinyl chloride? I'm thinking since they use it to make plastic—which is basically what PVC is—the stuff might be in a gaseous state during that process. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what you meant by "spraying" it, so I don't know if you were breathing in the finished PVC or just the monomer itself, though I suspect it was probably the latter since, as far as I know, PVC doesn't really exist in a gaseous state like its monomer does.
I’ll admit I'm definitely no tech expert when it comes to industrial processes, but from what I understand, vinyl chloride (the building block for PVC) is a known carcinogen, even if the finished PVC isn't necessarily classified that way, though you never quite know when things might break back down into that monomer form.

My mom actually deals with the exact same redness, though hers shows up on her face, and she didn't even start noticing it until just these last few years.

Tyler Morgan3 said:Look, we basically settled this back on the second post already—the amount of chlorine left over from the disinfection process doesn't have ABSOLUTELY ZERO impact on human health... at least nothing negative, anyway. ☕

I personally feel like the amount of chlorine resulting from the water disinfection process does actually affect human health (negatively) ☕... but hey, if you guys have already made up your minds, then so be it 🙂

Is this thread about the water disinfection process or chlorine in the water and health?? 🤔 🙄

That actually happened to me once too... I was totally fine, but it really makes you stop and think about all the stuff we buy and everything being sold on the market these days 🙄

People are saying it all comes down to what you eat,

Susan Harris4 said:Ozone is a double-edged sword, isn't it? When you're dealing with high concentrations, it becomes incredibly dangerous, yet when kept at low levels, it remains perfectly harmless.
While UV treatment is certainly an option for water purification, we have to confront the fundamental limitation regarding throughput. Since the process relies on a very thin layer of water passing through the UV lamps to ensure effective exposure, the actual volume of treated water remains quite low. Doesn't that essentially cap its utility? As it stands, UV technology would be perfectly suitable for smaller communities or individual apartment complexes, but on a larger scale, it just doesn't move enough volume to be a primary solution. 😁😁

I was reading online that when you use ozone for disinfecting water, it breaks down into oxygen really fast, which would mean by the time the water actually reaches people's taps, it's already gone and there's no danger left... do you happen to know anything about that? 🤷

feralwolf24 said:Hey, I really hope you don't think that white residue evaporating is actually chlorine. I also hope your microbiology professor mentioned that chlorine is actually a yellow gas.

Also, UV disinfection or ozone treatment (there's plenty to say about the dangers of ozone, too) isn't free, which is why it isn't used everywhere. The whole point of a municipal water system isn't just to disinfect the water at one single station; it's to add a disinfectant that stays in the residual supply and works its way through the entire pipe network. That's how we ensure the water coming out of your tap doesn't get contaminated along the way. Sure, chlorine isn't a perfect solution, but right now, it's the most practical option we have.

I’d love to know where you went to school (if you even did go!) 😁...because I'm struggling to see how yellow-green chlorine gas has anything to do with those little micro-bubbles evaporating from the water. The water looks milky because of the air bubbles, not because of whatever happens inside them.
->"Milky water refers to the cloudy appearance of tap water, which happens when tiny air bubbles are present."
And please, tell me, have you ever actually seen gaseous chlorine in person?..
If it's impossible to use ozone for municipal water, then I'm dying to know how they manage to pull it off in other developed countries. 🤔
Ozone might be a concern if you're putting it directly into your mouth (I think I heard something about that in dental studies once), but otherwise, it's unstable and just breaks down into oxygen, so I don't really see it being a huge danger...though I'm not an expert so I won't get bogged down in that debate. UV is definitely the safest route, but I'm just not sure how scalable it is for a massive city water grid...maybe in a hundred years, if we're lucky enough to still be around, we'll finally have the budget for it. 😁

Susan Harris4 said:Look, using ozone to disinfect water is certainly a step up from relying on chlorine, isn't it? But if we're talking about what’s truly optimal and healthiest, nothing beats UV light treatment. Of course, both methods come with their own set of headaches—specifically when you factor in the massive overhead costs and the actual volume of water you can process—so, really, where does that leave us?😁

You've got a point there... but honestly, if we aren't worried about the price tag, I don't think anyone is going to argue with how much water we're getting. 😁

gentlehound9 said:Let’s look at it this way... kids, you're out here trying to balance chlorine against limescale like it's some high-stakes chemistry experiment. 🙄
Do you all seriously need me to walk you through elementary chemistry?
The OP starts off claiming they can taste chlorine, then pivots to talking about limescale buildup, and then somehow circles right back to the chlorine thing again. For heaven's sake, pick a lane and stay in it. Just decide what you're actually talking about.

Timothy Vaughn44—where on earth did you read or hear that chlorine turns water white? Seriously.
Take a good, hard look at everything I just laid out above and try to figure out why your water is coming out cloudy on your own. Or do I seriously need to sit down and draw you a diagram?

I’m talking about chlorine here, though if you’re under the impression that those white flakes floating in the water are just limescale evaporating away, then I might have slightly misread our conversation! 😕Honestly, I’d just go back and re-read whatever source taught you that in the first place... because if you think those little bubbles rising up are just air, you might be mistaken. It could easily be chlorine, and there's really no way to tell for sure just by looking. Some of it stays trapped in the water anyway. Look, I’m not trying to jump to any conclusions about what you know or don't know, but I haven't seen anything written anywhere that supports what you're saying.Hey there! Just popping in to say hello.It’s just pure logic, really... and honestly, I actually learned all about the chlorine in our water and how its organic compounds can turn into carcinogens once they're inside the body from my microbiology professor back in college! ☕
Whether we're talking about a tiny trace or a massive amount, honestly, it doesn't even matter that much... any concentration at all is enough to trigger cancer. one So, I was just thinking about that one specific molecule that managed to mess with our DNA—you know, the kind of thing where our bodies just completely missed the chance to step in and fix the damage before it caused trouble. It’s a little humbling, honestly, realizing how much can slip past our internal repair crews without us even noticing!

Tyler Morgan3 said:Don't be so naive! And who on earth is claiming ozone disinfection hasn't been tested? There are plenty of studies out there. Look, tap water is perfectly safe to drink—you can chug it all day long without a single worry. That "evil" residual chlorine people freak out about after treatment? It’s at such ridiculously low concentrations that you seriously have nothing to worry about. Plus, just do the math on how much you'd be burning through if you bought bottled water by the gallon! But hey, if you want to throw your money away, go for it. It's your cash, spend it however you like... it just drives me nuts seeing these aggressive ads that basically insinuate tap water is bad, unsafe, or even toxic. What a joke.

From what I've gathered, ozone disinfection is actually quite well-established and backed by plenty of research 😁...plus, ozone is generally considered less harmful than chlorine and doesn't linger in the water nearly as much..
if the chlorine levels are truly that incredibly low, then why does my water almost look milky white whenever I pour it into a glass? If those concentrations are supposed to be so low, 😁

It’s definitely healthier, provided it actually comes from a spring like they claim... which, let's be honest, isn't always the case 🙄. I mean, half the time bottled water is basically just tap water poured into a fancy container 😁. Of course, they shouldn't be doing that, but then again, we can't really complain about the amount of pesticides or hormones in our food either—it's kind of an open secret at this point. I've heard it from plenty of experts over the years, so I tend to believe it's true
. I actually noticed a huge difference in the taste when I first tried Jane's brand. Back when it launched, you could tell it was high-quality spring water; it had this distinctively soft quality that set it apart. Now? I can barely tell the difference between it and the stuff coming out of my kitchen faucet, at least not with the version they're selling here in the States 🤷
. I guess that's just how the business works; once you build up enough popularity, you can pretty much sell whatever you want 😁
.

vividorca45 said:One can hardly draw any meaningful conclusions based solely on the texture of the water.

Chlorine is inherently hazardous, regardless of its specific form when introduced into a water supply. It is employed as a necessary evil—a tool used for disinfection to eradicate microorganisms within the system. In this process, certain compounds are formed which carry carcinogenic risks. Unfortunately, we have yet to discover a more efficient or cost-effective method for maintaining water purity across massive infrastructures, such as our municipal water systems.

Within public water networks, treatment plants utilize chlorine dosing stations that automatically inject precise amounts into the flow based on real-time quality assessments. These levels are kept at the absolute minimum required by federal safety regulations. If you believe there are significant issues at hand, I suggest contacting the EPA or your local health department, as they are the authorities responsible for overseeing the safety of drinking water distributed through public utilities.

There actually is a better—and much healthier—way to go about it, which would be using ozone disinfection, but honestly, for us regular folks, that's just way too expensive to pull off on our own.😁 🙄