At 17:59 21.1.2001 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>> The stuff you buy
>> is wickedly toxic.
>
[...]
>And by the way, if you are looking for the least toxic chemicals, try Xtol
>film developer. It's remarkably benign.
>--Mike
Mike, sorry but XTOL not only contains Ascorbic Acid (Vitmamin C) derivate
as developing agent (it would be clean then), but several other agents as
well, one of which (the only one mentioned on the package) is
4-HYDROXYMETHYL-4-METHYL-1-PHENYL-3-PYRAZOLIDINONE, which will AFAIK cause
same dermatitis over a long exposure period as traditional developers with
aminophenol and other agents. Have a look at Kodaks Material Safety Data
sheet, it must have more complete information. I would be glad to be
mistaken, but AFAIK I am not ;)
Of course, it's safer than PYRO...
Perhaps the most health clean developer is COFFEE !!! Yes, it can be used
to develop films, is not very fast, but very compensating... & fun. But
even COFFEE contains same carcinogenic agents as pyrogallol (!),
hydroquinone, ... But of course not in such big quantities... Fortunately,
our body can cope with them pretty well.
For a great article on safety and dermatitis and other safety things
regarding photo chemicals, look for an UK "CAMERA & DARKROOM" magazine,
issue 41 (1999 #3), article by Tony McLean, "Caution!Beware!!", dealing
mostly with Pyro toxicity and common precautions. I could scan it, if the
editor of it wouldn't mind.
Frantisek (who is, unfortunately, no chemist - so please understand the
above mentioned information is gleaned from other people's statements)
-
This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe,
go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to
visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org.
