http://www.care2.com/greenliving/arts-and-crafts-make-it-safe.html
Arts and Crafts: Make it Safe
Adapted from "Safe Substitutes: Non-Toxic Household Products" by Gary Davis and Em Turner, from The New Village Green edited by Stephen Morris (New Society Publishers, 2007).
It’s ironic that such a relaxing, restoring and expressive activity—making art and crafts—can also be so toxic. Although legislation controlling many of the dangerous ingredients in hobby materials has recently been passed, exposure to certain art materials remains a health risk. Check this list of where toxic dangers lurk in art and craft supplies, and tips for safer use.
Toxic chemicals in the home can be eliminated simply by making thoughtful choices in the supermarket after educating oneself about what the hazards are of common consumer products.
In the studio or hobby room, dangerous chemicals and metals include:
- Lead in ceramic glazes, stained-glass materials, and many pigments.
- Cadmium in silver solders, pigments, ceramic glazes, and fluxes.
- Chromium in paint pigment and ceramic colors.
- Manganese dioxide in ceramic colors and some brown oil and acrylic paint pigments.
- Cobalt in some blue oil and acrylic paint pigments.
- Formaldehyde as a preservative in many acrylic paints and photographic products.
- Aromatic hydrocarbons in paint and varnish removers, aerosol sprays, permanent markers, etc.
- Chlorinated hydrocarbons (as solvents) in ink, varnish and paint removers, rubber cement, aerosol sprays.
- Petroleum distillates (as solvents) in paint and rubber cement thinners, spray adhesives, silk-screen inks.
- Glycol ethers and acetates in photography products, lacquer thinners, paints, and aerosol sprays.
Tips for safer painting
- In painting and print making, ready-mixed water-based paints or inks can be used.
- If you must be exposed to paint dust, use a toxic dust respirator approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
- Ventilate the space thoroughly whenever using any kind of solvents, whether in painting or in lithography, intaglio, or photoetching.
- Solvents should be avoided while pregnant.
- Enamels are usually lead-based, and can contain other toxic metals such as cadmium and nickel. Use lead-free enamels whenever possible, and make sure kilns are vented outside.
Tips for safer pottery
- Outside vented kilns are important, as is careful choice of materials—most potters know to avoid glazes and lead frits, but many don’t know that flint, feldspars, fluorspar, and some compounds containing barium, lithium, manganese, or nickel can also be toxic.
- Children should avoid the pottery studio, as they are more highly susceptible to the toxics used in pottery than adults.
Tips for safer photography
Photography presents a number of toxic hazards which are difficult to avoid.
- Minimize exposure to photo chemicals by using gloves, mixing chemicals in a mixing box with holes in the sides for gloved hands, and providing adequate ventilation.
- The Health and Welfare Office in Canada suggests at least 10 room air changes per hour in the darkroom.
- Children under 12 should avoid the darkroom.
To check the toxicity of specific products, The Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI) has a searchable database of non-toxic art and creative materials for children and artists.
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12 comments
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Kabin
Konteyner,Prefabrik
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Konteyner
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Turpentine & other no-smell art products may seem a good idea, but without the smell to repel us and stop us inhaling..there is more chance of breathing it in!
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I work in a variety of media including pastel. I do try to avoid breathing the dust, but what about the fixative? There is no listing of ingredients on the can(except the propellant: Hydrocarbon) but plenty of warning regarding toxicity. Now I'm concerned.....Any advice?
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I have found the greatest company that has ALL no and low VOC Art and Craft Products. They are called Earth Safe Finishes www.earthsafefinishes.com. Their product line is called Generation Green. They have No VOC Varnish, Acrylic Craft paint, sealer, Crackle, Decoupage and more. And all their products are made in the USA. Now I can do all my kid projects safely and my own art projects like my painted canvases. I am so excited. I just received my package yesterday and I cannot wait to play with everything!!!
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Loveing the Eco Paints espeiclaly as they dont smell and give you a headache when using them , there is loads more in this artile too: http://www.jugglefrogs.co.uk/Blog/Eco_Paints.aspx
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thanks a lot!!because I was searching for that kind of informations!!but it's hard to find the less toxic fixatives...thanks to email me are share informations if someone have advices...
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Hi Reuven, I found a commercially available paint called Harmony, by Sherwin-Williams. Call your local store to see if they carry it, but ours did. The product brags no-VOCs. We used it in our bathroom and for the first time I didn't deal with a paint headache! I didn't fully investigate the product or read the MSDS sheets, but it was easy to get and economical. They mix the colors on site, and most colors are available. (The color palette is limited to avoid VOC addition.) Good luck! If you go to a store, they have color swatches and the store person can tell you which ones are not available as Harmony label. I wonder if they could make you up a few sample pots for your art project?
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I stretched my own canvas over fallen tree branches I collected in the forest. Then I went online to find eco friendly paints for art - I did not do a thorough search but came up with nothing. I am now trying to get a wll paint company like Bioshield or Safe Coat to send me a set of 1 pint samples. However no such such luck yet. If anyone else has luck or suggestions on paints, please let me know. Thanks.
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Thank you, this is most informative and helpful
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thankyou Annie for this wonderfull site, full of inspiration everyday what would i do without you! lesley cain
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