> At 10:40 AM 970504 -0600, you wrote:
>
> >David, I would be very careful about the fumes containing oxalates. Are
> >you wearing a respirator?
>
> Oxalic acid and oxalates decompose in the dry state, forming carbon
> dioxide, carbon monoxide (toxic), formic acid, and water. I can find no
> record that decomposition occurs in weak aqueous solutions. The oxalates
> themselves are quite toxic, but decompose on heating to the above
> compounds. A simple respirator would be of no value at all, but a good
> exhaust system would be of help to get rid of the carbon monoxide - but
> that's only with the dry chemical.
>
> Anyone have experience with this? Personally, dust (including that from
> ordinary chemicals) is more of a problem to me than fumes.
>
>
> Sil Horwitz, FPSA
> Technical Editor, PSA Journal
> silh@iag.net
>
The solutions are not weak, but saturated. If they did decompose, they
would be of no use as a developer. As it is an organic compound, I
thought an activated charcoal respirator would help.
John