Kick that habit - especially you young dreamers

[ESRBob]

So now I'm thinking more about subs -- howintheheck do you vent exhaust from a diesel? I can't believe you guys breathe the stuff outright. Is there some way to scrub it or get it out into the wet? For that matter, how long can you run on the same stale air before you have to come up for refreshers? I realize I never thought much about subs, and since I'm retired, why not now?

 

[Meadbh]

My "favorite" smell is the monoethanolamine, a nasty poisonous chemical that absorbs CO2 for extraction & discharge. It gives the entire boat that ambiance de je ne sais quoi... a truly indescribably smell between rotting fish and an oil spill. When I wore my uniform home I was required to disrobe in the garage.

Geez, Nords, this sounds positively toxic. Is it even legal?
No wonder you couldn't wait to ER!

 

[Nords]

Geez, Nords, this sounds positively toxic. Is it even legal?
No wonder you couldn't wait to ER!

BUMED says it's all well with NAVOSH & OSHA limits. The atmosphere gases & contaminants are all tracked & logged to remain with specifications.

Whatever that means.

311 mrem lifetime exposure to ionizing radiation from nuclear reactors is far less than my father & brother get in the Colorado Rockies from cosmic rays.

According to one study, the acute volcanic ash fallout I inhaled during the Mt. Pinatubo eruption is more dangerous than anything I've breathed on a submarine.

Having said that, during the USS NAUTILUS' trip under the North Pole in the 1950s, there was no standard for hydrochloric acid in the atmosphere and I don't think anyone was tracking it. When the crew returned from the voyage and had lost all their dental fillings to acidic corrosion, however, it gained attention. BUMED is always tinkering with the limits for various atmosphere contaminants.

Like TH says, someday we'll learn that all the broccoli I've eaten on active duty was more poisonous than anything else... and then there's all the fresh-baked doughnuts & bread and deep-fried meats...

 

[Dreamer]

Sorry to hear about your brother. I lost my brother to lung cancer at 45 in 2001. A dear friend of mine (we worked together from 1980 until she retired 12/31/04) just sent an email stating that a mass was found in both of her DH's lungs and the doctor is pretty sure that it is cancerous. He is 63 and has smoked since he was 13 yrs old. My 28 yr old son states that he smokes socially. I can't believe that he smokes at all.

I smoked from 1971 until the end of 1985. I can't believe that I was ever that stupid! It is hard to quit and I personally think that quitting cold turkey is best. My DH went through a program at WVU for approx 1 yr with meds and quit, then started again and finally quit again without meds this time. I hope and pray that he does not start again. He has gained so much weight though, which I worry about from the health standpoint. I keep wondering if I could have a slow growing tumor growing in my lungs, that has not caused a problem yet. I would like to get tested, but I don't think insurance would cover it and it would be expensive.

We toured the USS Bowfin when we were in Hawaii and I don't think that I could hack the submarine life. I know very little about submarines, but maybe they are bigger now. I still could not do it.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Like TH says, someday we'll learn that all the broccoli I've eaten on active duty was more poisonous than anything else... and then there's all the fresh-baked doughnuts & bread and deep-fried meats...

Yep, people who ate donuts while smoking will be proven to live 10 years longer than broccoli eaters, who will all expire due to complications of eating stuff that tastes like crap.

My high school was built the year before the big asbestos limitations went into effect and the whole place was packed with the stuff. The whole time I went there we had people sitting in the hallways monitoring little measuring pods that looked like canister vacuums without the hose.

It wasnt much comfort then, as it isnt these days, that our asbestos fiber inhalation rates were 'within state guidelines', considering this is from the same folks that considered ketchup a vegetable when included in a similar era school lunch...