RE: Chemical nastiness

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Hi,

I had to stop using my B&W darkroom due to becoming very sensitive to some
chemicals in the developer and stop bath fumes over a period of several
years of heavy, almost daily use.  Even with the addition of good
ventilation directly over the stop bath tray I would have a reaction to the
acetic acid I used for the stop bath.  My hands developed an ugly, painful
rash if I came near the developer and I could not use gloves because I
couldn't get a grip on the materials and the gloves would drip all over the
place.  I gave up in frustration and miss the time I used to spend in the
dark watching images appear on paper out of nowhere.  The digital darkroom
while not quite as satisfying is still quite enjoyable though B&W output on
consumer inkjet printers are a long way from what I would call great prints.
Is there a way to get decent B&W prints from an inkjet that won't break the
bank?


Regards,

Chip Louie


>
> Hi There:
>
> The dermatological vulnerability to chemicals is twofold:
>
> 1.  The immediate toxicity that a given substance possesses
>
> 2.  The allergic hypersensitivity than an individual may develop
> over time,
> with repeated exposure
>
> Pulmonary problems could arise with any fume or aerosolized substance.
>
> The highly alkaline B&W developers were notorious for causing
> hypersensitivity reactions, and acetic acid (stop bath) caused pulmonary
> reactions, as did fixer.  The color chemicals had the dubious distinction
> of contributing to ALL of them.  Some poor souls had to retreat from
> darkroom work entirely.
>
> I LIKE the clean and light "digital darkroom", with it's wonderful image
> control.  Still, if one yearns for "hands on and in".... .  :-)
>
> Jack Winberg
>
> At 10:50 AM 12/27/01 +0000, Kennedy wrote:
> >I don't believe the hazard from conventional black & white chemicals is
> >significant - it is a lot more dangerous breathing the fixer fumes than
> >putting your hands in the developer or fixer, providing you wash them
> >immediately afterwards.  Colour chemicals are a completely different
> >matter though.

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