Re: toxicity of photographic chemicals

Virginia Boehm (gini@ix.netcom.com)
Fri, 7 Apr 1995 15:57:52 -0700

Is there a classification standard for
>photographic chemicals that would let you know in general how to
behave?
>
>Who knows about toxic effects, how to test for them, and how to correct
>them? Is this something you should expect of your family physician?
If
>not, who are the experts? Whom do you call? I''l bet that people have
>spent alot of time negotiating this maze. An ounce or two of
>foreknowledge would be a useful thing.
>
> Dan Shapiro
>
>
Yes, it would. There seem to be two schools of extremists - one who
believes that gas masks are necessary for doing anything at all
in the darkroom and the other (including an instructor I once had)
who doesn't even use tongs but dips hands in just about
anything! The labels on chemicals are sometimes helpful, but can vary
for the same things between manufacturer and manufacturer. Does anybody
know of any sensible standards here? The discussion lately indicates
that we hold widely disperate views. This seems to be a scientific
issue (where there are facts out there) as opposed to one of
artistic judgment. Even the encyclopia of photography says very
little.

Gini

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