Dust Bunnies lightning talk

View Github Repository Open presentation in a new window

veloandy

See all presentation from veloandy

Dust Bunnies lightning talk

0 0

dustbunnies

On Github veloandy / dustbunnies

Dust Bunnies lightning talk

Andy Claiborne

October 28th, 2015

Warning

This is my desk today. You can tell I'm not a big germ-a-phobe. But, if you *are* a big germ-a-phobe, this presentation might horrify you and make you unable to function outside of a sterilized clean room. If you're worried that this function may impair your ability to function, feel free to take off your headset for the next 5 minutes.

About Me

If you know me, you know that I’m not one of those alarmist, “environmentally sensitive” people. However, I learned some alarming things researching this talk. My wife also tells me that I am unable to see dust.

What is a dust bunny?

A ball of naturally occurring hair and dust.

OK...so I know what hair is (ew). So what is dust, really?

Tiny airborne particles that settle to the ground and on surfaces. These including animal dander, sand, insect waste, flour (in the kitchen), of course lots of good, old-fashioned dirt and dead skin cells.

Dust is different

Every home has a little dust -- and its own unique "dust load," based on a variety of factors like where you live, what you cook, if you smoke, the climate, and how many people -- and animals -- live there.

Genesis of a dust bunny

When dust and hair settle on smooth, hard, non-absorbent surfaces (like wood, tile, or vinyl), they are blown around into a tumbleweed-like ball of nastiness. They dust bunnies accumulate where there aren't a lot of variable air currents or traffic, that are also hard to clean (like under furniture)

But why a “bunny” and not a “dust dog” or something?

Because under furniture they seem to multiply like, um, rabbits.

Genesis of killer dust bunnies

In the USA, we have a ton of laws and regulations intended to keep everyone safe. One such law is that we fill all kinds of things (carpet padding, upholstery, the foam inside home furniture, the plastic housing for TVs and computers sleep wear, vehicle interiors, etc.) with flame-retardant chemicals, typically Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs.

PBDEs are significant in the dust load of all modern homes

PBDEs are ubiquitous in our environment and especially concentrated in dust, and rolled up into cute little balls in dust bunnies.

Studying the impact of PBDE

PBDEs are not without risks. In the years 1999 and 2000, the National Institutes of health sampled the PBDE blood levels of over 600 pregnant women and conducted neurobehavior assessments of their children at age 5 and age 7

PBDE problems

The NIH found associations between PBDE levels during pregnancy and evidence of deficits in children's attention, fine motor coordination, and cognitive functionlaing at both ages. The children's PBDE levels were associated with lower scores for full-scale IQ, particularly processing speed, verbal comprehensions, and perceptional reasoning

PBDE and attention

Each 10-fold increase in children's total measured PBDE was assoiciated with at least a 4.5 times higher odds of the child being rated by teachers as at least moderately hyperactive and impulsive.

PBDE regulation

Recently PBDE have begun to be regulated and phased out. In 2003, the EU passed laws to phase out PBDEs in electronic and electrical equipment. In 2006-2009, a handful of US states (CA, WA, Maine) have passed laws restricting products with high PBDE content.

Escape from toxic dust bunnies?

PBDEs have been around the US since the 1970s, so even if you live somewhere that PBDEs are being phased out, it will take a long time for the phase-outs of PBDEs to result in less PDE concentration in the dust in our homes being rolled into dust bunnies

Getting rid of dust bunnies

1. Don’t google “cleaning dust bunnies” at work

One of the top hits is dustbunniesusa.com, which is service that offers topless or lingerie-only cleaning services, which seems so weird and horrible that I didn’t even expect it to be an issue.

2. Vacuum them up with a vacuum with an HEPA filter

3. If you can’t get to them and don’t see them. Don’t distrurb them.

Some websites suggest blowing them out from your furniture with a hair dryer…but that kicks up a lot of dust. Which could be bad if you care about not ingesting it.

Summary

Don’t let your kids eat dust bunnies. Don’t anger the dust bunnies Don’t google “cleaning dust bunny” from work
Dust Bunnies lightning talk Andy Claiborne October 28th, 2015