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Re: to squabble or not... about safety
Gee, it was just a year ago that this list was having this very same
discussion about warnings and fears of dichromate. I didn't know much
about chromiums at that time because I had never handled and or done
any gum printing. But when I actually read up on what I could find on
the internet, my fears of wash water from a photographers studio was
reduced to nearly nothing, in comparison to the amounts of chromium
pollution that I may have come in contact with elsewhere in my daily
life, like by breathing the air at my local kinkos... like how much
toner dust containing chromium is in the air in there? should I be
wearing a dust mask when I go to kinkos? after all it is the breathing
of the dust that seems to be the most dangerous. And how much am I at
risk when I use spray paints? I know I can smell them when I use
them... and how much chromium is left in the dye of my new green
tee-shirt? Really those fears could make me crazier than I need right
now...
I don't know what school others went to, (but in the past ten years)
I've always told chemicals have hazards. Maybe it's the folks who went
to school in the 50's or before where every one was fed the American
Dream, where life is beautiful and there were no risks, and now feel
lied to that are having a hard time trusting that others handle photo
chemicals with due care. I'm sorry, you WERE lied to...Really we do
have to balance life risks, and you too should have been told there are
dangers that need notice. In the schools around here, gloves and masks
are promoted and provided. I always tell people not to stick their
fingers in the chemistry, " 'cuz you're likely to be bitting your nails
later".
For me, I wouldn't fear a gum printers studio up stream from me...
because I think I am at much greater risks elsewhere. But I'd would
think the gum printer pretty lame if he puts his unprotected hands in
his wash water or didn't were a mask when mixing his chemicals, and
I'm very glad the local tannery(famous-ships leather worldwide) is
located several miles downstream! and I'd not want to live in any state
within miles of a steel producing mill... that risk seems too great to
me at this time... but then they would think me unreasonable or
foolish....
garimo
My chromium post from last year......
>Subject: Re: Dichromate Hazards - Thanks!
>Sent: 5/2/00 10:12 AM
>To: alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca
> alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca
>
>After rereading the article on photochemiclas and septic tanks in the
>March/April issue of PHOTO Techniques(USA), I spent almost two hours last
>night surfing the web sites listed as references and the site of the EPA
><www.epa.gov/> and now I have even less fears about any wash water that
>may go down a drain from some gum printer, (before I knew nothing). I
>learned intresting things like EDTA is used in fertilizers as a source of
>soluble iron... I learned there are two chromiums that should not be
>confused in discussions... Chromium III=good, Chromium IV=bad... Chromium
>III and other minerals are often naturally acurring in aquifers and are
>essential for biological metabolism at low concentrations. I read Chromium
>IV is a known carcinogen when inhaled, and the epa reports say that
>research on ingestion is unavailable. I read the body does have some
>mechanism to convert small amounts of Chromium IV into Chromium III and
>even some ground formations filter ChromiumIV before any contamination
>reaches the aquifer, but then these studies have only been conducted near
>factories that use large amounts of chromium in their industries...e.g.
>steel making, chrome plating, tanneries... I read little or no concerns
>about photo use except that of toners for copy machines and pigments and
>dyes for paints and textiles.
> I learned that chromiums surrounds me continuously in my everyday life,
>from when I put on my work gloves, to when I use a pressure treated fence
>post, or when I measure the length of a board with my chrome plated
>stanley tape measure, it's in the water I drink, and the food I eat...and
>my body thrives because of it. There is no possibility for me to escape it
>if I tried, AND I don't want it in the air I breath... like I
>wouldn't want to ingest a large concentration of aspirin for a headache...
>I'll do my best to avoid large concentrations of all other chemicals as
well.
>
> But here's a site that may be for some, it seems to be a magical disposal
>system, but I tend to be skeptical of product claims made on the internet,
>but it may be just the thing every darkroom should have, I might get one
>as I sometimes use the t-max reversal kit that has permangante bleach with
>manganese and maybe then I'll start to use some toners at home instead of
>in the school lab...<http://www.njefferson.com/chemgon.htm> if anyone has
>ever used one of these things, I'd like to hear their value judgments of it.
> well I'm off...I gotta' go put on my chromium laced gloves and go to work!
>garimo
>