bud540, if you wear a fume mask (as distinct from a dust mask) and work outside in a well-ventilated area, I agree you are taking reasonable precautions for a home situation. (There are many industrial chemicals that can't be controlled by a fume mask, and some of them are very toxic indeed.) Sometimes we have limited options; for example used engine oil is dangerous, and most of us handle that to some extent.
I am unenthusiastic about the sand-blaster as a solution. It is difficult to keep it from affecting the sealing surfaces of the cylinder head, and of course you can't use it on the top of a piston unless the piston has been removed from the engine.
