Naphtha (a 4,000 year old name, from Ancient Persian by way of the Greeks) is a loose term adapted by chemical companies in the 20th century to refer specifically to benzene, the most carcinogenic substance known to man.
From
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzene#Health_effects quote:Benzene increases the risk of cancer and other illnesses. Benzene is a notorious cause of bone marrow failure. Substantial quantities of epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory data link benzene to aplastic anemia, acute leukemia, and bone marrow abnormalities. The specific hematologic malignancies that benzene is associated with include: acute myeloid leukemia (AML), aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
The American Petroleum Institute (API) stated in 1948 that it is generally considered that the only absolutely safe concentration for benzene is zero.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) classifies benzene as a human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to excessive levels of benzene in the air causes leukemia, a potentially fatal cancer of the blood-forming organs. In particular, acute myeloid leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (AML & ANLL) is not disputed to be caused by benzene. IARC rated benzene as known to be carcinogenic to humans
It bears repeating: acute myeloid leukemia or acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (AML & ANLL) is not disputed to be caused by benzene.
Naphtha/benzene is better known as lighter fluid (check that Ronsonol label, Zippo users. See benzene listed anywhere?)
OSHA and NIOSH set the legal limit of exposure to naphtha/benzene at 100 parts per million over an 8-hour period. That's an insanely miniscule amount.
Slightly higher levels of exposure (1000 ppm) are categorized as
Immediate Danger to Life or Health. Having said all that, I worked in shipyards for many years, where exposure to benzene and other toxic compounds was rampant.
We used fire blankets made from asbestos when cutting or welding near anything that could be damaged by heat or sparks. Benzene is a primary component of cutting oil and machining lubricants, and we used tri-chlor (another ghastly poison) to clean it off parts.
Plus, I smoked. Luckily I never used a Zippo, but only because a stray spark could land in your chest pocket and cause it to explode, not something you want to happen inches from your heart.
Everybody knows my love for lemon pledge, and god only knows what's in that stuff.
My point is that I'm not merely being pedantic about this. I'm genuinely concerned about the dangers, especially because I've been exposed to such huge amounts myself.
Read the Doctor Frets link in the OP, which discusses the different types of oils and waxes used on fretboards, and their limitations (Greg, your Old English lemon oil might be just lemon-scented mineral oil, according to that article.)
Be careful. As Dr. Gonzo put it (ironically, as it turned out):
quote:Kill the body, and the head will die.
