TAKE protective clothing, safety goggles and a respirator next time you visit a bar. Richard Platt recently bought some Dry-Treat Marble and Porcelain Sealer to treat a granite work surface. The instructions sternly warned him not to take it internally, to use a positive-pressure ventilator if ventilation is inadequate when he is working, and to wear suitable solvent-resistant gloves, protective clothing, safety goggles and an organic vapour respirator during application. A check on the product’s safety data at confirmed the need for these measures. “Significant ingestion,” it warned, “can result in depression of central nervous system,”…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
3
Ancient human DNA found on cave art for the first time
4
If you aren't terrified by this heatwave, you should be
5
Europe鈥檚 heatwave is the hottest and most humid ever
6
Can home batteries help save the climate and save you money?
7
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
8
A promising natural technique to remove CO2 could backfire
9
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far 鈥 plus 6 other great reads
10
You should turn off fans when it's too hot 鈥 but how hot is too hot?



