I just sanded my balcony. i'm moving and i didn't want to get docked my security deposit for some superficial burn marks that were on the wood already prior to moving in (but i stupidly didn't put anything down on the Condition of the Apt list when i moved in, i was so busy with moving in back then that i never got around to it).
so i just used a wood floor edger. thought it would be a piece of cake. didn't wear a mask for the first half of it or so. don't ask me why, i just thought it wouldn't be a big deal. when i finished i was covered in sawdust {i showered after} and when i blew my nose several times...i'll spare you.
well, now i don't feel very good. maybe it will pass though.
but i googled because i was wondering if this was common? i found that -duh- wood is usually treated with a chemical combination that includes Arsenic and there have been many reports of people getting ill, having long-lasting damage, or dying from it.
SO let this be a lesson to anyone who is thinking of taking on a household fixer-upper task. Wear a mask!!! It's for a REALLY good reason!!