When working extruded polystyrene foam.. like bluecore or
home insulation, which is worse for you? The dust or the fumes?

Extruded polystyrene foam dust
* 'Pink lung' (anyone have it?)
* Dust mask will help (is N95 dust mask enough?)
* Static cling will help remove the dust from the air
* Vacuum system (vented to the outside)

Fumes from a hot wire cutting XPS foam
* Styrenes and Benzene and all sorts of organic nasties
* Vent to the outside
* Carbon air filter respirator
* Machine mounted carbon filter (as seen on some laser cutters)

I'll be cutting XPS both ways, so what am I missing?
Thanks, Charlye

The fumes are definitely nasty and a carbon filter respirator is a really good idea. I found this information on a MSDS regarding the dust:

HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION:

ACUTE EFFECTS
SWALLOWED:
Ingestion is unlikely due to physical state. Physical injury only.

EYE:
Solid or dust may cause irritation or corneal injury due to mechanical action.

SKIN:
Considered to be physiologically inert. No adverse effects anticipated by this route of exposure incidental to proper industrial handling.

INHALED:
Dust may cause irritation to upper respiratory tract. No significant levels of exposure to blowing agent or fire retardant during normal industrial procedures post manufacture. For further information contact Dow or Aero. Dev. (Mfg.) for unabridged MSDS.

CHRONIC EFFECTS:
As above.

OTHER HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION:
Repeated exposures to this product are not anticipated to cause any significant adverse effects.

Thanks Geof. The dust doesn't sound so bad. Here's an EPS foam msds (nearly
the same as XPS).

http://www.abtdrains.com/f/msds-eps-foam.pdf

Products Evolved When Subjected to Heat or Combustion:
Toxic levels of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, irritating aldehydes and ketones.

Hazardous Polymerizations:
DO NOT OCCUR