Is sanding vinyl toxic?

Hello!

I'm new to the forum and somewhat new to collecting dolls, hopefully this is the right spot to put this. 

So I recently read on some resin BJD forums/groups that just sanding resin for faceups requires a respirator + filters as well as sanding outdoors because the resin dust is toxic. I'm aware that you need the same respirator + filters when spraying MSC as well. But is sanding vinyl the same? It's really hard to find any people talking about whether it's safe/dangerous etc, only posts about MSC. Is an N95 mask enough for sanding vinyl or should I wear a respirator too? I have been wearing an N95 for doing mouth mods on my vinyl dolls, but after reading about resin dust being toxic I'm pretty scared of the complications with black lung and the like so want to be careful and make sure. Thanks all

4 hours ago, cheerycherry said:

So I recently read on some resin BJD forums/groups that just sanding resin for faceups requires a respirator + filters as well as sanding outdoors because the resin dust is toxic. I'm aware that you need the same respirator + filters when spraying MSC as well. But is sanding vinyl the same? It's really hard to find any people talking about whether it's safe/dangerous etc, only posts about MSC. Is an N95 mask enough for sanding vinyl or should I wear a respirator too? I have been wearing an N95 for doing mouth mods on my vinyl dolls, but after reading about resin dust being toxic I'm pretty scared of the complications with black lung and the like so want to be careful and make sure. Thanks all

I don't know about black lung, but generally you do not want plastic dust in your lungs. Plastics won't decay or be absorbed by the body, so they can be in there forever. 

I would definitely recommend a proper respirator if you're gonna do sanding, as the particulates are very very small and the N95 might not be able to catch them all. On the bright side, a respirator will last you years, and if you keep it in a sealed bag between uses the cartridges last a long time too!

Thanks guys, I will start using a respirator for sanding now on too  Just wanted a second opinion to make sure.

A good rule of thumb is any dust or gas should be mitigated. Stay safe!

I recommend wet sanding, so that dust is less likely to become airborne. You can find wet/dry sandpapers and sanding sponges at hobby shops. Dip your sandpaper into water, sand the surface, and use a damp paper towel to wipe up the dust. Dispose of paper towels while they're wet, and rinse off your sandpapers when you're done, and that will keep the dust pretty well contained. You should also wear a mask while sanding this way.