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Re: [BKARTS] toxicity in xerox transfers
I think J J is making the point that being educated is the best defense.
He asks that you consult the MSDS sheets, not ignore them... Luckily I
have a PhD chemist for a father: great advisor, as these sheets aren't
always easy to decipher for the average Joe. But I have to say, I
eliminate what I can from my diet and environment as I know that I'm
"absorbing" plenty of chemicals each day without knowing it.
Marnie Powers-Torrey
Studio Manager, Instructor, Printer
Book Arts Program and Red Butte Press
J. Willard Marriott Library
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
-----Original Message-----
From: Book_Arts-L [mailto:BOOK_ARTS-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
auhteg
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2006 9:21 AM
To: BOOK_ARTS-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [BKARTS] toxicity in xerox transfers
I've seen enough letterpress printers and printmakers who started
working in the time when it was acceptable to clean their hands in
whatever solvent they were using, keep all of the windows shut, and
certainly never wear gloves.
Quite a few of them have serious health problems as a result. It would
be gravely negligent to ignore the precautions in the MSDS sheets and
encourage others to do so as well. Maybe nothing happens, but maybe it
does, and do you really want to take that chance? Nobody's calling for
mass hysteria, just a little common sense. Getting some of these
chemicals on the skin is the equivalent of drinking them because they
are absorbed straight into the bloodstream. Would you drink bleach?
Abby
-----Original Message-----
From: Book_Arts-L on behalf of J. J. Foncannon
Sent: Thu 6/15/2006 5:13 PM
To: BOOK_ARTS-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [BKARTS] toxicity in xerox transfers
To elaborate on my previous post. Oil of wintergreen (methyl
salicylate) is present in Life Saver's wintergreen mints, many rubbing
alcohol compounds, etc. It's the salicylate radical, the same as
present in aspirin, that could CONCEIVABLY cause hearing loss. But you
would have to shower in oil of wintergreen daily to absorb enough to
cause the hearing loss that very large doses of aspirin can cause.
Many think the MSDS is a convenient and realistic guide for the
toxicity of chemical compounds. As a matter of fact, it is an alarmist
document that can and should be interpreted through the lens of
experience and reason. It presents a totally worst case scenario for
the toxicity of chemical compounds. Look at the entry on bleach
(calcium hypochlorite) and you'll se what I mean. It reads like the
description of a chemical warfare compound.
On this list I've read about people wearing masks and rubber
gloves to empty packets of dye into water. Jeeze!!!
In our society, and probably in all societies since 1600,
exposure to chemical compounds is ubiquitous and, often, unrecognized.
For instance, the dollar bills you spend are sprayed with an anti-fungal
compound.
The steps some people take to protect themselves border on the
irrational. They discard their aluminum cooking utensils because, as my
chemiphobic sister proclaims, "aluminum is a death metal," when, in
fact, aluminum is ubiquitous in our environment, in our soil, in fact.
Some react with horror to the consumption of nutrasweet because it
metabolizes in methanol, when a glass of orange juice contains six times
as much methanol as two packets of nutrasweet.
What is needed is a reasonable assessment of risks in handling
the chemicals in our environment, not hysteria.
Meredith R Winer wrote:
>
> One thing I've not yet seen posted here that is important for all
> those experimenting with transfer techniques: wintergreen oil straight
> from its bottle is NOT nontoxic. In fact, it is ototoxic, and can be
> absorbed
through
> your skin to cause hearing loss or damage to the ear's nerves over
time.
WEAR
> GLOVES if you are working with wintergreen oil (working in a
well-ventilated
> area should be a given).
>
> I do a lot of work with transfer techniques and I'm an avid reader of
> information on safety of materials in the arts and I find it
> disturbing how few people know this fact. Hope it helps someone!
>
> Meredith
>
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*********************************************************
Jet Foncannon
Philadelphia, PA 19139
ON THE OPEN-MINDEDNESS OF SCIENTISTS
Rabi and Kusch, the former and current chairman of the
department [at Columbia University] came into my office...."You should
stop the work you are doing. You know it's not going to work. We know
it's not going to work. You're wasting money. Just stop!"
Llewelyn H. Thomas, a noted Columbia theorist, told me that the
maser flatly could not, due to basic physics principles, provide a pure
frequency with the performance I predicted. So certain was he that he
more or less refused to listen to my explanations. After it did work, he
just stopped talking to me.
Charles S. Townes, "How the Laser Happened."
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The Bonefolder, Vol 2, No 2, Spring 2006 Now Online at
<http://www.philobiblon.com/bonefolder/vol2no2contents.htm>
Flag Book Bind-O-Rama and Exhibit
Entry Deadline, September 15, 2006
For all your subscription questions, go to the
Book_Arts-L FAQ and Archive.
See <http://www.philobiblon.com> for full information
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***********************************************
The Bonefolder, Vol 2, No 2, Spring 2006 Now Online at
<http://www.philobiblon.com/bonefolder/vol2no2contents.htm>
Flag Book Bind-O-Rama and Exhibit
Entry Deadline, September 15, 2006
For all your subscription questions, go to the
Book_Arts-L FAQ and Archive.
See <http://www.philobiblon.com> for full information
***********************************************
***********************************************
The Bonefolder, Vol 2, No 2, Spring 2006 Now Online at
<http://www.philobiblon.com/bonefolder/vol2no2contents.htm>
Flag Book Bind-O-Rama and Exhibit
Entry Deadline, September 15, 2006
For all your subscription questions, go to the
Book_Arts-L FAQ and Archive.
See <http://www.philobiblon.com> for full information
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