Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/11/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I believe Ansel Adams donated his body to science to research the effects of a lifetime of photo chemical exposure and there was no real negative impact on his major organ systems Wikipedia may have more On Nov 5, 2009, at 10:15 AM, Jim Nichols wrote: > Hi Steve, > > My darkroom exposure, like yours, was more than 40 years ago, and > was not extensive. I never considered the toxicity of the chemical > exposure, thinking there was not much of a problem unless they were > ingested. > > My late father-in-law made his living from a small studio for a > number of years. He hated gloves, so his nails were often > discolored, but he was not aware of other symptoms. He was active > until he suffered a stroke at 90, and died at 91. > > Jim Nichols > Tullahoma, TN USA > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Barbour" <steve.barbour at > gmail.com > > > To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org> > Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 12:03 PM > Subject: Re: [Leica] Why the mad rush / toxicity > > >> hi Mark and thanks, >> >> I am reading some of the current information and warnings...Back >> when I worked in a photo darkroom in a very amateurish way, 40 >> years ago, there was no particular concern, no warnings, I took no >> special precautions, 'cus the general feeling was that risk was >> low and seemingly non-existent... >> >> at that time, the idea that the chemicals either by contact or by >> inhalation were inherently toxic, never dawned, was not at issue, >> even though I was a professor at that time on a medical school >> faculty, and trained in depth in biochemistry, molecular biology, >> microbial genetics... >> >> I have survived the intervening time without any obvious damage, >> but my exposures were surely minimal compared to many. >> >> One has to think of the possible analogy with the story of Marie >> and Pierre Curie who won Nobel prizes for their work with >> radioactive compounds, but who had no idea of the associated >> serious risks, and suffered from these...at least severe burns, and >> Marie's death from aplastic anemia. (Pierre died prematurely from a >> fractured skull after a street acident). >> >> So all this talk about toxicity and precautions is an eye opener >> for me, and the concerns are admittedly tainted by the self >> serving overreaction of regulatory agencies, as usual "a day late >> and a dollar short"... >> >> >> Steve >> >> >> >> On Nov 5, 2009, at 2:58 AM, Mark Rabiner wrote: >> >>>> >>>> On Nov 4, 2009, at 7:16 PM, Richard Man wrote: >>>> >>>>> What are you? A doctor?!!! >>>> >>>> >>>> yes, but..... >>>> >>>> I am reading all this stuff... >>>> >>>> >>>> http://www.subclub.org/darkroom/safety.htm >>>> >>> >>> >>> " Use tubes instead of trays for all processing. " >>> Wildly delusional and totally out of the loupe would be thus my >>> opinion on >>> the subclub. >>> Fiber doesn't work with tubes and if they did you'd still not >>> want to use >>> them. >>> Use rubber gloves with trays and you'll do fine making an effort >>> to not >>> smell the powders. If you know what it smells like its already >>> entered your >>> body. (Dektol vs. Hypo) Make sure you don't know. Know by reading >>> not >>> smelling. >>> >>> Most people who have had darkroom problems come from a generation >>> (The 60's >>> and before) where they used their hands not tongs and nobody >>> cared about >>> stuff like not breathing powders. Arthritis was what a lot of >>> these guys >>> seemed to have gotten from no tongs. Rarely anything else. >>> 1 in 1000 gets Metol / Elon reactions. They need to stay out of >>> the darkroom >>> but maybe go with Phenidone. >>> Its the people who experimenting in alternate processes who run into >>> trouble. >>> Gum Bichromate. potassium dichromate is nasty stuff. >>> Platinum printing maybe I think I heard will do you in if your >>> stupid. >>> >>> But since the 70's at a college darkroom they made you be careful. >>> That's when I switched from my hands to tongs. >>> >>> >>> Mark William Rabiner >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information