Question from E.
Hi Debra,
I am looking at using a silicone keyboard cover to seal in VOCs on my (4-year-old) Apple keyboard. None of the covers I have found are described as food-grade. One company could not say for certain if their product was food-grade. Does this matter since I am not using this silicone for food? I will be typing on it daily.
Thanks
Debra’s Answer
I’m doing more research on silicone and apparently there are various types with various additives. I’m still sorting that out.
Just know that skin can easily absorb toxic chemicals if they are present.
Why do you think your Apple keyboard is emitting VOCs? I just called Apple and was told the keys are made of hard ABS plastic. My iMac is four years old too, and I’ve never experienced any outgassing that I’ve noticed. Hard plastics rarely outgass.
And why do you think silicone will block VOCs? I don’t think it will. It’s waterproof, but gas is a much smaller molecule. Silicone may be a vapor barrier, but that might be a speciality silicone for that purpose.
