Chalk Dust In The Air

[jago]

I have been visiting other gyms in the past few months and the other day I visited one with an excellent reputation (great coaches, high scores, etc.), but there was so much chalk dust hanging in the air that it looked like a pool hall/bar filled with cigarette smoke. What are the dangers to the girls inhaling the dust (magnesium carbonate)? Or of eye irritants? Thanks for the info, as I'm a new Proud Parent of a young Gymnast that LOVES the sport!

 

[bogwoppit]

I have tried to do research on this before, but there is not a lot of info out there. What info there is days that inhalation of chalkdust should be avoided. My two girls have asthma and I have treained them to be careful around the chalkbucket and our coah is very good about making sure that the kids are not going chalkcrazy, puts it away for rec groups etc.

Some gyms have machines called chalkeaters that do a good job of removing the dust from the air.

I imagine in very busy gyms where there are groups training all day and evening chalk dust will become an issue unless the place is well cleaned and ventilated.

Any irritants that is inhaled will not be good for a child, or in fact an adult. For anyone with lung issues it is going to be more problematic. If I could see chalkdust hanging in the air my kid would not attend that gym. It is just one of many things that I would add to my list of important things.

I'd love to hear what others think about this issue, and I'll dig up the old threads we have had on asthma and chalk.

 

[bogwoppit]

Here they are, lots of responses in both, but I am sure there is more to add too.

http://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/parent-forum/11706-allergies-chalk-dust.html

http://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/parent-forum/2722-chalk-dust-asthma.html

 

[jasmine196]

I haven't heard of any studies being done. But if you look at the amount of gymnasts and coaches who spend years upon years in that enviorment it doesn't seem to do much harm. I myself went to a gym that was covered in chalk. The air always had chalk dust in it. I spent 10 years in that gym for up to 12 hours a week. Now as a coach its been another 12 years, and I'm fine. Most of the gyms now have a chalk filter (not sure of the name of it) and its wonders. I wouldn't worry to much about it unless your dd has ashma or is allergic. In that case you should talk to the coach about it.

 

[gym law mom]

The chalk dust can be an irritant especially to those with allergies and asthma. Many gyms have chalkeaters near the bars to help suck the stuff out of the air. Overall the chalk is not harmful as far as I can tell. My gymmie does have some problems with sinus congestion when the gym gets very chalky. Problem is the stuff sticks to those high ceilings and if you live in a climate where it gets cold, hard to open doors to the gym to get some fresh air in.

If you're looking at gyms then put a ? next to this one based on the chalk. See what it looks like in the other gyms. Doesn't sound like this gym has chalkeaters, but you could certainly ask a coach/owner.

 

[maddiekate]

At my gym, lately I have been coming in and the chalk is pretty thick. It looks like fog. It hasn't really made my allergies any worse than they were at my old gym, and I have pretty bad allergies at times. I don't know how the chalk is thicker in this gym, because they have a filter and it's a much larger gym than my old one, which had barely any chalk in the air. It's also a lot newer, where as my old gym was so old it didn't have air conditioning.

I don't have asthma, but chalk dust in the air doesn't really have that much of an impact on my allergies.