Parkinson's Disease - the photographer's disease??

[struan_gray]

Anecdote isn't proof. My grandfather smoked vast quantities of

tobacco throughout his liftime, and lived to a ripe old age.

 

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As others have hinted, you need to do a proper study of a

population of photographers before you can identify to causal

links. The Swedish pro photographers' association did a

reasonable a couple of years ago. Apart from things which

should properly be classed as accidents (e.g. burns from

dropping a Winchester of glacial acetic acid) they found only two

good correlations: allergic reactions to some developers,

particularly metol, and bad backs from humping too much gear

around in a shoulder bag.

[ed b.]

In response to an earlier post, I never asserted a definitive link

between pyro and Parkinson's disease, I merely suggested the

possibility. Pyro can cause kidney and liver damage and is almost

certainly carcinogenic. It is not a great stretch to assume it might

cause neurological disorders as well. But I am not a physician and do

not claim to speak definitively. To put my much-quoted statement in

its proper context, I go on to say: "But it is easy to over-react:

simple kitchen gloves and eye-wear are adequate protection when

handling pyro solutions. An occasional few drops of dilute solution

on the skin can be flushed with water and are no cause for alarm.

Long-term exposure is another matter..."

[sean_yates]

"We all know exposure to any kind of chemicals is bad. I've even heard

the chems affect male sperm."

 

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Is there any other kind of sperm?

[mark_minard]

THANK YOU for explaining the Weston's black fingernails... I thought

that Edward had painted his black as some sort of personal statement,

and that Brett was just keeping up the tradition! Boy do I feel like

an ass...

[sissle]

Hi fellow professionel photographers,

I have thoroughly enjoyed this line and although being only 39 yrs

old, I am wondering what my future will bring in relation to all

this, as I print my platinum prints myself 'from scratch' and although

I have ventilation, and a fuming cupboard, sometimes the fumes seems

pretty serious, and Im not sure if my slight dizzyness after a long

day and nights work, may be from bodily exhaustion or fume

exhaustion...

And regarding the 'male sperm', as a woman, I am sure hazardous

chemicals has effects on the reproductive system too. Some of my

fellow women professional photographers put their childlessness down

to prolonged exposure to darkroom chemicals.

Still we all have to die of something, and I think its important to

highlight, that we are some of the lucky people in the world, who have

found our 'metier' or 'vocation', which we live 100 % for, and surely

this positivity will help prolong our lives !

 

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May you all live long and prosper !!!

Yours

Ms. S

[erik_gould1]

I think everyone owes it to themselves to understand the risks they

might be taking in doing any sort of work. To that end I suggest

photographic print makers check out the book "Overexposure: Health

Hazards in Photography" by Shaw and Rossol. This book covers materials

and chemistry used in b/w, color,non-silver,and printmaking (ink)

processes. It outlines specific hazards and suggests safe working

methods. In most cases I think one will find that the materials they

are working with can be used quite safely, eliminating any doubts

about reproductive health, PK, cancer etc.

[wayne__]

"check out the book "Overexposure: Health Hazards in Photography" by

Shaw and Rossol."

 

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Of course that book says to avoid even using pyro and amidol, two of

Weston's favorites, which could bring us almost back to square one

again. ;-) I dont use either, but I decided not to (with the option of

changing my mind at any time) before reading that book. I dont recall

what they say about glycin, which I have been using a little, but I

dont think its quite in the same category as the above.

[dk_thompson]

Okay, I'm not going to get into this discussion that much, but the

National Press Photographers Assoc. had a publication a few years ago

called "Making Darkrooms Saferooms" that was an overview of chemical

safety and health hazards. There were a number of articles about

ongoing studies (at that time) in relation to illnesses and darkroom

chemistry, especially those from color chemistry. Studies dealing with

kidney damage etc. This is a great book if you're involved with

commercial photography and trying to avoid contact dermatitis or

dealing with ventilation issues.

[jtk]

Google "The Case of the Frozen Addict", an 1985 video regarded by neuroscientists as reporting a breakthrough related to Parkinson's disease.

 

I cannot prove this, but I believe Parkinsons symptoms are produced directly by exposure to pyro in the same fashion that the faulty "rave" drug caused Parkinson's symptoms in the research documented by this film.

 

Parkinsons rarely kills people young, so observations that some famous photogs have lived long lives is irrelevant.

 

My interest in this has to do with the death of my personal link to Minor White, Conrad Forbes, who died very young as a result of kidney damage done by drugs prescribed to treat his Parkinsons..including his semi-successful early-experimental treatment with L-dopa.

[marc_gaede]

I was employed by Ansel Adams from April to September 1977 to proof print his Sierra negatives for the book "Yosemite and the Range of Light". I worked in his Carmel darkroom most days and printed nearly 8,000 of his negative and mounted his fine art sale prints. The comment that he had Parkinson's Disease is a mystery to me as I never saw any such symptoms and none of his staff mentioned Parkinson's. If he had this disease, it manifested in his last years. However, I visited him several times, the last in 1983, and he seemed about in the same health as when I worked for him.

 

Marc Gaede

[kristi_rynders]

I was researching the link between kidney disease and photochemicals and found this site. I signed up to share my

story. I have suffered from kidney disease since I was twenty years old and began working at a one hour photo lab.

I was young and inproperly trained to mix chemicals and a tiny closet (after I got sick- I stopped the mixing in the

closet). I feel in my heart that the exposure to the chemicals caused my kidney problems (after I stopped working at

the photo lab my kidneys showed radical improvement). I have spoken with the people from the company the makes

the chemicals and they just repeat that only rats suffered from the exact type of kidney damage that I now have

because they were fed the chemicals directly. So, I guess that is that. But I was relieved to read this tread because

at least someone is acknowledging the link. (I love photography no less because of this).