be very very scared, chemically scare.

<p>http://www.tucsonaz.gov/arthazards/photo2.html</p>

<p>Sure some photo chemicals can be a little hazardous, but I've been using them for nearly 50 years and it hasn't hurt me a bit.</p><div></div>

<p>Wow I put vinegar on my chips (french fries) guess I better stop doing that...</p>

<p>Drat! And I just ordered some uranium nitrate to have around the house.</p>

<p>If you are worried, you should read the Material Safety Data Sheets for the photographic chemicals you are using, not extracts for extremely concentrated versions of the chemicals that compose them. Note the entry for acetic acid is for the glacial form, not the usual form used in darkrooms. Household bleach is on the list. Yes, don't drink it; use it in the laundry. If you are allergic, stay away from it.

 

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<br>

Here is a link to the Ilford site and the Safety Data Sheets, in multiple languages:

 

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<br>

<a href="http://www.ilfordphoto.com/healthandsafety/datasheet.asp?n=2">http://www.ilfordphoto.com/healthandsafety/datasheet.asp?n=2</a>

 

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Note, that in most cases the sheets say don't drink the chemicals (do people really need to be told this? This is like the signs that read "Don't pet the bears or rattlesnakes"), if you splash it in your eyes, rinse it out, and if you have persistent skin or eye irritation, consult a physician (who will probably tell you you have a sensitivity and stay away from the stuff).

 

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<br>

I am waiting for the next warning that being born is hazardous to your health; it leads to death 100% of the time. <grin></p>

 

<p>Brooks, you forgot the paying taxes too. :)</p>

<p>I wonder who still has Freon 12 in their darkroom these days.</p>

 

<p>As the old adage says: "Don't drink the developer."</p>

<p>This is total nonsense. For example, they cite hazards of Glacial Acetic Acid, noted as a stop bath. That's a total fiction. Acetic Acid in stop baths is typically 2% to 5% concentration, not Glacial.</p>

<p>- Leigh</p>

 

<p>Drunk drivers last month probably killed more people than the chemicals in my closet than in the entire history of photography; including the idiots playing with radioactive toners.</p>

<p>Get a grip....</p>

<p>Gasoline is far more toxic than most photo chemicals...and certainly much more of a fire hazard than anything on that list. But, with proper precautions, the right equipment, and a bit of common sense, millions of people fill their cars tanks safely every day.<br>

Of course there are potential hazards with almost any chemical, whether it be photographic, household, garage, or workshop. Just read the rules, don't panic, use sensible and relevent precautions, don't eat the hypo, and you'll be fine.</p>

 

<p>It's always good to know the level of hazard you're working with, and what precautions to take. However one of these chemicals is commonly found in Hot Dogs and other processed meats. So you better get the stuff without preservatives or you'll be eating it!</p>

<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6" width="687" height="43" bgcolor="#ffffff">

<tbody>

<tr valign="top">

<td>Sodium Nitrate</td>

<td><br /></td>

<td>Color bleach bath</td>

<td>Moderately toxic</td>

<td>Not significantly toxic</td>

<td>Not significantly toxic</td>

<td>May be converted by intestinal bacteria into more toxic nitrites if ingested; can result in anemia, cyanosis; strong oxidizer</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

<p>I do not have a darkroom myself. I think about it from time to time but I just do not want to deal with the chemicals. I try to avoid buying things that I would have to take to Haz Mat day at the dump. I wind up there twice a year anyway, but I try. The Pest control guy knocks on the door from time to time and tells me that it is "Old School" if you think their poisons are not green. I send them packing and tell them that God makes big bugs to eat little bugs. Besides I am an organic gardener. A spider is my friend.</p>

<p>There are a lot of moderate chemicals you can buy, like the eco-friendly stuff at FreestylePhoto.biz, and some of the citric stop baths and what not. I've entirely switched to these materials, except for the developers I have to use. I had cancer 25 years ago after extensively working in the darkroom since age 12. Just about every other friend that also worked in the darkroom also had one cancer or another. There was a previous thread on this threat a couple of years ago, but some poo poo the notion that darkroom work is dangerous. I made a commitment to use less toxic chemistry, but that's just me--the cancer survivor--talking.</p>

<p>Some of the toxicity ratings seem questionable. For example, hydrochloric acid. We all have about 0.5% HCl in our stomachs as naturally produced gastric acid. With all these chemicals it's the concentration that matters.</p>

<p>Guys. What about the concentration that is absorbed into our skin? Even though I wear my glove there are times when I have to take my gloves off and bring the equipments back to the drawer after it is done.</p>

<p>Anyway, Michael Axel, if you don' mind expressing your health issues. What kind of cancer did you and your friend get? I develop my film occasionally. I am not a heavy shoot anyway. Maybe two rolls every month or month and a half.<br>

So far I used the Rodinal, D76, and the Tetenal C41 chemical.</p>

<p>Yeah I do get dry skin. And it seems like the cracking on the joints of my fingers last for two years and no heal. Any good home remedy to sew up my fingers? I wear gloves whenever I go out.</p>

<p>O by the way. I really really really want to try the tetenal E6 chemicals my own.</p>

<p>For dry, cracked skin, this stuff is the sh....tuff:<br>

<http://www.matas.dk/medicare/special+hudpleje+og+cremer/helosan+pattesalve+300+g.aspx?categoryid=68&productid=2554><br>

I know it exists in the US as well but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. Translated directly, pattesalve means "tits ointment". I.e. the stuff one would put on a cow's udders after milking.</p>

<p>~Tom</p>

<p>For dry skin try:</p>

<p>Udder Cream<br>

Bag Balm<br>

Both will work well, and some suggest slathering all over then putting something over your hands to keep the lotion/ointment on the skin creating a more 'wet' environment for faster healing</p>

<p>This is what people are worried about in Tucson?</p>

<p>First off, for anyone who (1) is now, or was for a couple of decades or more, a moderate to heavy cigarette smoker, or (2) is obese (BMI > 30), it makes almost <strong>no sense</strong> to worry about other health hazards in ordinary daily life, because the magnitude of the health risks from smoking a pack a day or being obese is far higher than anything else thant 95%+ of the population is going to encounter. I will never forget a former classmate and later coworker who would refuse to eat lunch at certain places because, "How can you eat that greasy food--it's so unhealthy," but he was running out every hour or so to smoke a cigarette. We need to be rational and logical about how risky things are, both on an absolute scale, and relative to other risks we encounter.</p>

<p>That said, <em>common black and white</em> photo chemicals, in the quantities and concentrations typically used today, present low health risks if you follow the manufacturers' recommendations. Yes, there are things like selenium toner that are somewhat riskier. Yes, some color processing chemicals are more toxic. Yes, there are people who are hyper-sensitive to certain things.</p>

<p>I think it was Lex who made the point about stomach acid. Yep, your stomach contains hydrochloric acid and other stuff. You probably have bathroom cleaning chemicals that are more dangerous that your photo chemicals. Read the directions, be careful, etc. But no need to get too worked up about the health issues caused by the way most people engage in the hobby.</p>

 

<p>It helps to read the material sheet that comes with the chemicals, it is all in how you use and handle them.<br>

Jim</p>

<blockquote>

<p>You probably have bathroom cleaning chemicals that are more dangerous that your photo chemicals.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You probably have drain cleaner which is very similar to some developers.</p>

<p>No doubt this kind of table is a gross exaggeration and misleading about the risk levels of the actually used solutions versus highly concentrated forms. Even pure water is a deadly chemical if you try to "inhale" it. But like Mike says it doesn't pay to brush off the risk factors either, especially if you are frequently around particular classes of chemicals like fixatives etc.</p>

<p>According to the American Cancer Society the probabilty of developing cancer over your lifetime was 44% for men and 38% for women in the US in 2004-2006. See table on page 16 in the <a href="http://www.cancer.org/Research/CancerFactsFigures/CancerFactsFigures/cancer-facts-and-figures-2010">pdf on this page</a>. I haven't found a credible primary web source yet to confirm, but according to a recent health radio show the estimate given for the same lifetime cancer probability for people alive in the early 1900s was 5%. With all the ifs and buts of course about screening methods and cancer awareness being much less sophisticated then (yet also inverse considerations such as the much higher incidence of male stomach cancer in those days).</p>

<p>My wife and I both work in biological lab research with plenty of chemicals around that are "safe if used according to instructions". Nevertheless she was diagnosed with uterine cancer at 42 and saved by early detection and immediate surgery. While we have no choice (other than completely changing careers) but to continue working with many hazardous chemicals, we did drastically change methods to almost eliminate the need to use formaldehyde, the one carcinogen that is likely the most risky in our line of work. In my student days I used to regularly sit above an open dish of formaldehyde-processed soil for hours while picking out preserved microscopic critters.</p>

<p>One of the then graduate students in our department had thyroid cancer at 29, another staff member lost her daughter (who was not in research) a few years ago from recurring breast cancer, which was first diagnosed when the daughter was in her late 30s.</p>

<p>Sure, smoking is worse but that doesn't mean film chemistry is somehow "better" instead of "less bad". Cancer is a lot like gambling in casinos, minus the tiny probability of becoming a millionaire. The more chances you knowingly or unknowingly take, the more likely you'll lose big in the end. Even though no single factor will give you absolute certainty that you'll draw the short end of the stick, you do very much want to manage the odds to be in your favor as much as possible. That includes rigorously keeping your exposure to an absolute minimum, especially in situations where you are frequently around known hazards.</p>

<p>If you dig back into your photo history, you'll like recall that the early military photographers were assisted by the military explosives experts, because of the funky chemistry in use.<br>

If you start mixing chemicals, you can make a real, nasty mess fast (recalling the times the building had to be evacuated because someone playing with their chemistry released cyanide gas, or the potential disaster from 50+ gallons of concentrated stop bath the lab used to have on hand).<br>

Awareness and proper caution is always a good plan.<br>

Going overboard and over-reacting is not.</p>

<p>The life expectancy for someone living in 1900 (note not BORN in 1900) was a little over 46, according to http://www.demog.berkeley.edu/~andrew/1918/figure2.html<br>

Since many types of cancer only start to show up in old age, it is difficult to compare rates of cancer in 1900 to 2011.<br>

But most people reading this have much more to fear from their diet, lack of exercise, and the hazards of drunk and texting/chatting drivers. Forget the darkroom--we're already awash in a soup of industrial chemistry.</p>

<p>Now Paul got a very good point. Having cancer is like gambling in the casinos.<br>

And Scott yes you are right. We are awashed by a soup of industrial chemistry. Nowadays I even worry if I should use shampoo at least one each day because when I read the chemicals on the back I don't see anything that is related to food. So sometimes I even skip bath to avoid shampoos and help heal the cracks on my fingers naturally.</p>