Re: How can I detox my family from exposure to...

Hi Infinitelove

I don't know much about adverse effects from breathing fumes from oak, but I have handled and stacked raw oak boards and noticed the strong sour oder from the wood, but I was not trapped in a closed room with the fumes.

We have had cattle get sick or die around here from eating acorns, oak leaves and tender limbs from the oak trees. I have a friend that raises cattle, and I help him out sometimes.

The toxins in oak are called gallotoxins and they are converted in the body into tannic acid, gallic acid and pyrogallol, all of these chemicals are toxic to the kidneys.
toxin in oak remains even when the wood is dry.
You might want to consider pine or poplar, pine has a nice clean smell.

You may be able to seal the wood. Many people that don't like using toxic finishes prefer to use a wax finish to seal the wood and give it a finished sheen.

Please do not take this as a scare tactic. Keep in mind this is only for cattle eating large amounts of oak, and this is only general information, and maybe I should have left this part out anyway.
Breathing oak fumes should not have any lasting or severe effects on your kidneys.

The symptoms of oak poisoning in cattle from ingestion of oak can be depression, lack of appetite, a gaunt and emaciated appearance, poor or rough hair coat, dependent edema fluid buildup under the skin under the neck, abdomen or on the legs, digestive disturbances both diarrhea and constipation have been reported, with mucus covered or tarry stools, increased drinking, passage of copious amounts of urine which may contain blood.

Sonce the toxin attacks the kidneys, drink plenty of water and juices to flush the toxins out of the kidneys. Be sure to use enough Sea Salt to avoid hypernatremia.

You might want to consider a natural diauretic to flush and cleanse your kidneys, dandelion root. It is an excellent diuretic that will not deplete your potassium stores like many diuretics do.