I burned my plastic cutting board by accident
 

I am just wondering how bad am I affected by it? The cutting board isn't destroyed just a couple of shavings from the burn. I placed it on a very hot range and it got melted for a few seconds.

Is melted plastic the same as burned plastic? It gave off white steam/smoke for a few seconds not black smoke. The board wasn't smoky just the range (it's not a gas range)

I did this several times already with grocery store plastic bags... it gets hectic sometimes I get careless with two young children crying and runnign while I need to cook.

Hi Chokato!

I guess you already know that when plastics/carbon based products burn they release toxins, and although there are many toxins released in a fire, I believe the nasty ones are the Dioxins.

There's plenty of information on the Internet about these gasses, but along with most things... it would depend entirely on the amount of these gasses you inhaled at the time. You would need to work that out before you could ascertain whether on not your lungs were affected.

You'd also need to look at the size of the board, the temperature the fire reached and the length of time you were exposed to the fumes, and from what you say it seems that the damage was very small to the board and so the gasses emitted would probably be minor.

If you're still worried about the consequences, you should make an appointment to see your local doctor. Your doctor will have all the means to check your lungs to see if they've been damaged or not. I hope that helps.

I'd air out the room and turn the fan on just to make sure to get any leftover after effects cleared out.

:Doh: I didn't think to write that!

Thats Jo*Mar for stating the obvious...... I don't know what my brain was doing when I was giving all the chemical type advice without going through basic first aid! :icon_rolleyes:

Well with welders & mechanical stuff around here we get plenty of icky smells and chemicals. :eek:

You better start planning more time to cook. interruptions happen, and you should be prepared when they do; and you should make sure your homeowners insurance is both adequate and up to date. I"d suggest some life insurance for yourself and your kids also.
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