Sandblasting will kill you. Sand consists of silica, which is a crystalline mineral that, when inhaled, will lodge in your lungs and stay there, resulting in fatal lung disease.
It may take a decade or more, but exposure to silica will result in silicosis which is a type of pneumoconiosis, a disease of the lungs which results in a long, drawn-out and ugly death.
Bottom line on this is: NEVER USE SAND OR SILICA FOR BLASTING! If you do, you will probably die young.
At reTruck we use glass, which is non-crystalline and has no known health hazards. Nonetheless, we use air supplied respirators when blasting for maximum safety.
