Argon and Skin Cancer

[Dr Stevil]

continued from Tek forum:

I'd be very interested indeed to see the article Wreckie mentioned re argon causing skin cancer, but in case any of our hard-core tekkie guys are panicking, I can say that at the moment I can't find any published evidence in the scientific databases which suggests it could be a problem.

I've found one reference which indicates that argon ions cause cancer:
"The low carcinogenicity of electron radiation relative to argon ions in rat skin. Burns FJ, Jin Y, Koenig KL, Hosselet S.  Radiation Research 1993 Aug 135:178-88"
but I don't yet  know how they produced these argon ions, I'll have to check that out in our library as it isn't available on-line.

Argon is a noble gas and therefore stubbornly unreactive under natural conditions, although bombarding argon with high-energy particles can form argon ions (ie atoms that have lost or gained an electron causing their charge to become either positive or negative repectively), but in that case the high-energy particles are more likely to do you more harm first!.

The following  hazardous substance fact sheet (updated 2001) indicates that argon has not been tested for carcinogenicity and recommends only that it be treated with caution as a possible asphyxiant
<a href="http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/0151.pdf

Argon" target="_blank">http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/rtkweb/0151.pdf

Argon</a> is certainly used in a theraeutic way to treat cancers e.g. in Photodynamic therapy or cryosurgery and argon-ion lasers.

Anyone interested in other known long-term effects of sport diving may like to read the article here: <a href="http://www.scuba-doc.com/LTE.htm

Regards" target="_blank">http://www.scuba-doc.com/LTE.htm

Regards</a>
Steve

[andy2tanx]

i would imagine like a lot of things you would have to bombard yourself with argon for a ridiculous amount of time to suffer any ill effects. &nbsp;Still... I've been wrong before...

[PaulC]

Andy, I know this is :offtopic: aye but you know your avatar, why are you breathing your octo? Just randomly wondered...

[Davey Willo]

If I were to hazard a guess it would be because the one in his mouth is the one he donates during an OOA, he's basically saying to any panicing diver &quot;here mate take this one fresh from me gob!&quot;

Or he just happened to be checking out the backup regulator during the dive (As we all do... don't we?) and happened to get snapped with a camera in the process..

Or it could be cos he's so stupid he just put the wrong one in.. infact now I think about it.............

[andy2tanx]

well spotted that man, give a him a fudge bar! &nbsp;Dave willy got it right with number one reason, take it out of my mouth dontcha know!