[alt-photo] Re: "Dangers of dichromate," continued....

[Judy Seigel]

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010, Dirk-Jan Treffers wrote:

  ....The solid that is
formed, however, contains Cr(VI) ions.Those are very dangerous (the same
ions that are present in AmDichrom.) You already know the hazardous effects
of that stuff, I ussume: can cause cancer, dangerous for women who are
pregnant/unborn child/reproductive risk...etc).
..............................................................

Oh please.... In the first place nowadays pregant women hardly use 
ordinary air. I've been using Am di for at least 30 years and taught 
hundreds of space-cadet ungraduates to use it, in person and in print.... 
I have yet to hear of or witness ONE case of *any* of the above, or even a 
hint of it, and any "unborn" in question turned out to be perfect 
geniuses.

I'll add, moreover, that we handle, breathe, and even eat MANY materials 
daily (come taste the air on my street, especially when the wind is from 
New Jersey, check a couple of the cleaning agents under my sink (yours, 
too), and/or the fumes therefrom -- for the most obvious of many lethal 
potions in common use)... So I suspect that the above list of threats 
is... trying too hard....

Not to mention that a printer who eats, drinks, splashes in, wears, 
sprinkles, breathes or otherwise imbibes or rolls in dichromate is 
suicidal anyway.

In fact I'd bet that many things (diets high in fat and salt, cigarettes, 
habit-forming drugs, among a slew of entirely unregulated materials) can 
be at least as dangerous and folks gleefully indulge and giggle about them 
into whatever old age luck,life, and heredity grant them.

As for "the volcano experiment," one who indulges and then "cleans up" 
without excellent face mask and/or other suitable protection knows better 
& is just being smart-ass, for which no known cure exists.

Judy

====================================================
Now for the application of
gumprinting, these risks are neglectable when taking the right precautions.
But with the vulcano experiment, cleaning up the mess is quite more
difficult... The vulcano-effect also means that some of this solid that is
formed, is blown into the air which you breath...

But, thank God for the internet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=NL&hl=nl&v=q2VLIbU6rh4

so far my two cents to this topic!

kind regards,

Dirk-Jan

2010/1/9 Marek Matusz <marekmatusz at hotmail.com>

>
> Ammonium dichromate is an old "volcano demo" reagent. You can start the
> self-decomposition reaction by sticking a red hot nail to it, or perhaps a
> flame from the lighter and then if spews a green ash of chromium oxide in
> the air as ammonium dichromate is self-decomposing. DOne that a lot of times
> in the past, before all the regulations. Never had any issues with it.
> Heating it to very high temperatures in a closed container is however not
> advisable.
>
> I am sure a lot of more seasoned chemists on the list have seen the volcano
> demonstartion or done it.
>
> Marek
>
> > From: zphoto at montana.net
> > Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 08:25:32 -0700
> > To: alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org
> > Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Instability of dichromate, et al...was
> Re:"Moistened"
> >
> > I myself have packed my am di in a box in a car trunk and made my husband
> travel with it through the deep South in 100 degree weather in a car in
> front of me (feeling guilty all the way) and he lived to tell the tale :)
> But YRMV (your results may vary).
> > Chris
> >
> > Christina Z. Anderson
> > christinaZanderson.com
> >
> > On Jan 8, 2010, at 9:40 PM, Judy Seigel wrote:
> > > I myself have lived, slept, shouted, and PERSONALLY EXPLODED, not to
> mention jumped up & down, cursed & rent my garments on numerous occasions in
> a room with lots of ammonium dichromate, especially the dry powder (here
> being called "crystaline"??), but other forms as well, and never got so much
> as a hiccup out of it.
> > > Judy
> >
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