Replies

1. 
   DaveinPa | Nov 25, 2004 09:06pm | #1

   It effects the nasal passage and lungs. It dries the sinius, throat and you get a very dry cough. My husband works with black walnut and he always wears a dust mask, gloves and washes up when done working with it. He never wears the same jeans or work shirt and throws them in the washer. It may effect you differently so you might check with a doctor.

1. 
   Bluegillman | Nov 26, 2004 06:24am | #2

   Really that dangerous? I did a lot of walnut projucts and didn't notice any side effects. Was I missing something? Sanding, I do wear breathing masks. I would be worried more on those spalted woods.

1. 
   BobDallas05 | Nov 26, 2004 05:06pm | #3

   I did some research on this because I've been working with walnut and have been having mysterious sinus related problems.Walnut is rated as a "sensitizer". This means that an immediate reaction may not occur but with continued exposure over time you may develop a reaction. The common reactions to walnut dust include respiratory problems, lethargy, and depression. Once your body becomes sensitized, the reaction cannot be reversed and gets more serious over time. For people like me with a history of allergies, I'm switching my procedures on working with walnut. Here's how: always a mask when sanding or sawing; removing and laundering work clothes each day; a good shower when work is finished. When you think about it, these steps should be pretty standard with all of us anyway.Also, I'm going to upgrade the dust collection system in my shop to include an air scrubber.As a footnote, I found many references to walnut being a poison. The tree discharges a chemical that can poison certain types of nearby plants. There were numerous references to not using walnut shavings or ground shells around horses or birds because of potential negative reactions. Walnut preparations are used as a pesticide in controlling mites. Finally, walnut concoctions in the health field are used as a expurgator. Bottom line, we need to treat this stuff with some respect.

1. 
   treeguy | Nov 26, 2004 08:18pm | #4

   Just a couple more things to add to your post.  The chemical found in walnut is called juglone.  I deal with it when it is wet and if the sap gets on your skin it can cause a rash to break out, with some people being more prone to the chemical than others.  Also I wouldn't make any type of bowl or spoon with it because the chemical is a laxative, even though it may look nice. 

1. 
   jimkidd2 | Nov 27, 2004 03:06am | #5

   I'm glad this was here. I'm about to build a library and entertainment center out of black walnut. I'm using rough cut stock so that I can mill it myself. I'll take some extra precautions and keep the kids out of the shop until my work is done. Jim"I want a good clean fight. No head butts, no rabbit punches, and no hitting below the belt. Break when I say break, and protect yourself at all times."

2. 
   Bluegillman | Nov 27, 2004 06:45am | #7

   I have notice one guy breaks out bad rash while he works with some kind of oils in the machine shop. Bothers him so bad, looks like he rolled in the poison ivy. Doesn't cause me any thing.....

   Yep about those juglone, I was worried about planting a garden and remember someone told me not to have it too close to the walnut tree. I did send a letter to garden and tree doc, they asked what kind of walnut I had and I said English. They said go ahead and plant away because it isn't the black walnut. Leaves of the English can be composted without any worries.

3. 
   pauchik | Nov 27, 2004 02:24pm | #8

   Black walnut has Juglone in the roots which is a growth inhibitor and effects surrounding plants.  Any toxicity is related to skin sensitivity (allergic symptoms) and is individual specific.  It is toxic to horses in the same way, but is known to cause laminitis as well (nearly anything can cause laminitis it seems).

   Many trees are "poisonous" but the poisons (cyanide, alkaloids and tannins) for the most part are held in the leaves and bark and generally aren't a problem unless ingested.  Most adverse reactions to wood are due to the dust and are respiratory in nature.  They can be entirely avoided using the usual precautions.

2. 
   Bluegillman | Nov 27, 2004 06:35am | #6

   Wow thanks for the fine report on the walnut. I will take more care while working with them from now on. Thanks again!

2. 
   RickL | Nov 28, 2004 02:08am | #9

   I think it's more critical if you are a horse. We have some horse owners who take our chips and walnut is a must to avoid for horese bedding. They say it is deadly for horses.

3. 
   arizonagirl1980 | Jan 04, 2022 04:18pm | #10

   If you're breathing it in it's respiratory issues if you get it on your skin it's chemical burns, but if you get it in your skin as in splinters, God help you you'll have anxiety, depression severe swelling in your arms and legs and inability to walk straight or talk straight severe nerve pain and pressure in the ability to sleep in ability to walk my right hand I couldn't use for 2 months until I got the wood off the nerve, it eats through this into the skin down to the last layer of the epidermis and it doesn't want to let go. I get a lot of infections it's a nightmare oh yeah your doctors don't believe you they think you're either on meth or crazy that's a bonus

4. 
   _mj_ | Jan 04, 2022 04:33pm | #11

   Speaking of old threads.....

1. FWW Editor
   ben_strano | Jan 04, 2022 04:53pm | #12

   We're working on it. Locked posts coming soon... I think.

1. 
   arizonagirl1980 | Jan 04, 2022 05:05pm | #13

   Maybe but I'm looking for help here because my doctors don't seem to know what to do and the only thing they can find is about horses getting it in their legs from the shavings. This is taking over my entire life and destroy everything I love and I want my life back and my body back I feel like I've aged 20 years overnight

1. 
   rob_ss | Jan 04, 2022 07:42pm | #14

   This is a social media post for entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute and is not intended to be seen as a medical consultation. Although I am a doctor, I am not your doctor, and you should seek medical advice if anything in this post causes you concern.

   Walnuts (Juglans nigra) produce Juglone (indirectly), which is a natural herbicide and may suppress the growth of other plants nearby. The evidence for this being significant is scant, and no-one has been able to demonstrate juglone or walnut extract causing true allelopathic effects although we know other plants do not grow well under walnut trees and we know that juglone is toxic to plants. The toxins also degrade quickly in air. https://www.gardenmyths.com/walnuts-juglone-allelopathy/

   In horses, there is interest in walnut heartwood as an extract of it can be used to trigger laminitis in the equine model and there is a case report of horse bedded on walnut developing laminitis. Oral administration of large amounts of black walnut extract have been shown to affect and activate horse immune systems very rapidly, suggesting that black walnut heartwood may have a significant biodynamic effect, at least on horses, and when swallowed. The development of laminitis is extremely fast, and has only been shown to completion in one formal study in 1987. Interestingly, they excluded juglone as the likely cause. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3604042/

   There is also concern on a few websites about Walnut's effects on humans and in recent times there has been a lot of interest in it's possible use as a cytotoxic and an anti-inflammatory, however there are no clinical trials on juglone and only one on walnut itself, and there are no case reports of harm from walnut or juglone in the medical media.
   Walnut ointment is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an anti-bacterial but quality clinical evidence is lacking. A low quality clinical trial in 2020 reported some healing benefits and no significant concerns. There are two studies reporting on injuries from falling out of walnut tress, but they are of questionable relevance here.

   Based on evidence to date, walnut itself is probably not harmful to humans however the work done in equine models suggests that it can cause activation of immune cells, especially those responsible for the generation of pus. There is a paucity of evidence, but given that walnut has been used in food utensils and as a furniture wood since around 1600, it is unlikely that it has any dramatic effects on humans, at least in sensible or reasonably expected exposure levels. It seems prudent to wear appropriate dust protection devices and to avoid ingestion of significant quantities of walnut wood, but these are sensible precautions regardless of the wood species involved.

   Humans can also develop allergies and sensitivities to many things, including woods, although this is rare with commonly used furniture woods. It is possible that any wood might cause an excessive response in any patient though so it is best to have a high degree of suspicion.

   I have linked this list before but it is worth, I think, repeating here. https://naw.org.nz/resourcesnew/toxic-wood/

2. 
   joeleonetti | Jan 04, 2022 09:04pm | #15

   Sorry to hear you are having issues. Sounds like you might need to talk to a few different specialists before you find one who can really help you. There are a few woods I've worked with that seem to bother me but not as bad as you have experienced. What I personally do is not work with those woods any more.