Really worried I have damaged my health by not wearing a mask cutting MDF wood?

[Cannotstopworrying]

I cut several skirting boards with a hand saw which were MDF and a couple of doors. I have seen the odd comment MDF dust is dangerous and now really worried if I have breathed any in I will develop lung cancer down the road.

Does anyone know about MDF and how much risk I have exposed myself to?

Struggling to sleep due to it

Appreciate any help

[Bumble1989]

Hello

My husband has done this before. Its not dangerous unless you do it long term. Doing it once or even a few times isn't going to cause any problems. It's if you did it a lot.
You don't have anything to worry about 🙂

[Fishmanpa]

Mute concern...

FMP

[Cannotstopworrying]

Thank you both for getting back to me.

Why are you both so sure it is not an issue?

I did not wear a mask or any other kind of protection, as I just naively assumed wood was fine

[Bumble1989]

My husbands dad did it many times when he was working and he never got any kind of cancer or other problems caused by that.
Just doing it a few times won't cause you any harm. It's if you did it long term that it could.
My husband has been in the building industry for years, his brother is a carpenter and their dad was also in the same industry

[Carys]

It will be occupational and long-term exposure that is the problem, not a one-off or even a 'few off'. A few quite reports read and it is those in saw mills and working with the materials unprotected all day who are at risk.

If it was that carcinogenic then Joe Public wouldn't be able to buy it, as I bet stacks of people accidentally do this all the time without knowing. There are numerous dusts and particles you are breathing in all the time in the environment, and pretty shoddy air quality some places at times, your lungs will clear it out in no time - all done and (pun) dusted !

You know from now on to pop a mask on to save breathing it in.

[MrLurcher]

When I renovated my first house, I cut up some MDF, and ended up using an electric saw on a few boards indoors without any ventilation. A bit stupid on my behalf because you should wear a mask or ventilate an area when cutting ANY wood, not just MDF. I did worry a bit like you, but the chances of harming myself were minimal being a one-off, and yours is too. Just next time, cut them outdoors, or if indoors, ventilate and wear a mask :-) These days I cut all wood outside just to be safe - as long as it's dry!