Re: Glyoxal?

I just want to confirm with Dave that formalin is nasty stuff.

Many years ago I did some work involving handling significant volumes of
formalin. I used protective clothing/gloves, a respirator and worked with
a fume hood. All the appropriate precautions. Since then I've developed
a serious contact allergy to formaldehyde. I can't get near the stuff now
without reacting to it.

Its a very inconvenient allergy - lots of common things use trace amounts
of formaldehyde as a preservative- hand creams, shampoos, plywood,
oriented strand board lumber, carpet undelays, etc. etc.

If you use formaldehyde take appropriate precautions. Gluteraldehyde is
no where near as risky as formaldehyde. Luckily I am not allergic to glut
:)

Gord

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006, Dave Rose wrote:

> Formalin is very nasty stuff. If you use it indoors, it releases fumes into
> the air and your eyes will burn terribly. I tried it once, opened all the
> windows and left the room until the paper was dry. I resumed the task
> outdoors a few days later, and have done all hardening outside ever since.
>
> I've never seen formalin discolor paper. I've had nothing but good results
> using it.
>
> Dave in Wyoming
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Yves Gauvreau" <gauvreau-yves@sympatico.ca>
> To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 7:19 AM
> Subject: Re: Glyoxal?
>
>
> > Hi Dave et all,
> >
> > one thing (amoung many) that I don't understand, I found a paper on
> gelatin
> > where I read that both formalin and glut are use to harden gel capsule
> > amoung other things. We eat this stuff all the time and yet manipulating
> it
> > is harzardous. From what I can figure out, when either hardener are use
> such
> > that all of it get cross linked it would seem that from then on it is no
> > longer a healt hazard. If this interpretation is correct, would this mean
> > that all we need to do is to find the proper concentration needed to cross
> > link the gelatin properly for our purpose and with proper care and safety,
> > after that we should be ok???
> >
> > I read in this paper that we can cook gelatine at around 500 F and this
> > causes polymerisation could this be useful???
> >
> > I have a few more question on this, one is about the color, I'd like to
> know
> > amoung the various hardener we can use which (if any) would be
> colorless???
> >
> > What about permanance, is there one of these that is more "permanent" then
> > the others???
> >
> > Are there some process that are sensitive to sizing in terms of quantity
> > (thickness) RH and PH???
> >
> > Thanks
> > Yves
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dave Rose" <cactuscowboy@bresnan.net>
> > To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> > Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 8:58 AM
> > Subject: Re: Glyoxal?
> >
> >
> > > No. I would never use formalin indoors, even in very small amounts. As
> > > long as it's above freezing and the wind isn't blowing too hard, plan to
> > > harden your paper outside.
> > >
> > > Dave in Wyoming
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Loris Medici" <loris.medici@altinyildiz.com.tr>
> > > To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
> > > Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 4:59 AM
> > > Subject: RE: Glyoxal?
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hi all,
> > > >
> > > > I presume "took it outside" suggestion is when you harden in trays. I
> > > > assume it would be safe to use formalin indoors when using a very
> small
> > > > amnt. - such as brush sizing. (Think of 100ml %3 gelatin solution +
> > > > 1.5ml formalin) Am I correct here?
> > > >
> > > > TIA,
> > > > Loris.
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Judy Seigel [mailto:jseigel@panix.com]
> > > > Sent: 14 Ocak 2006 Cumartesi 05:32
> > > > To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> > > > Subject: Re: Glyoxal?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, 13 Jan 2006, Christina Z. Anderson wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Personally, if I wasn't using glut I would go to formalin before
> > > > > glyoxal.
> > > > > It's worked for centuries--well, 1 1/2 centuries.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Where do you get formalin, Chris? In NYC you need a doctor's
> > > > prescription, or maybe a mortician in the family. I can get the
> former,
> > > >
> > > > if not the latter, but don't because I find it so painful to use
> indoors
> > > > &
> > > > don't like outdoors in winter. Plus, as I've said probably too many
> > > > times, glyoxal cleared better (for me, anyway).
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > J.
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

---------------------------------------------------------
Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
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Received on Mon Jan 16 09:26:30 2006