Chris, Go on line and find all the MSDS sheets for the chemicals you are using, read them and see what u can change in your dark room now, then take them to your doctor, they will help with you.
Bill
Chris, Go on line and find all the MSDS sheets for the chemicals you are using, read them and see what u can change in your dark room now, then take them to your doctor, they will help with you.
Bill
Chris, Scott from Lynnfield (just north of you). Sprint Chemistry is a bit less noxious as far as smells go. Their fixer is ammonium based and their stop bath is buffered with vanilla and ALOT less problematic than Kodaks! Your ventilation (hoods over the chemistry helps) should be cranked up so you shouldn't need the respirator. You can make a vent hood out of foamcore (better to use some form of plexiglas for permanence) to use over your chem trays. I can send you jpegs of the massive ones that we have at work to give you an indication of of something you can fashion if you want.
Something to remember:
If you can smell it, it is getting into your lungs.
Sincerely, A Darkroom Hound
Chris et al: should mention that smell is absolutely no way to gauge the toxicity of chemicals. Remember, Carbon Monoxide is deadly but totally odour-free. Other substances have extremely low detection limits as for example esters. Such substances are detectable in a few parts per million, yet many of these esters are practically harmless in all but very high concentrations. One example is amyl acetate, so called banana oil. Other esters are found in fruits and alcoholic beverages, such as wine and rum. Some substances like acetic acid have a pungent smell and are only mild irritants at low concentrations. "Glacial" acetic acid, i.e. the pure form on the other hand is quite toxic and should be handled with care. However, everytime you add vinegar to the french fries you are breathing and consuming acetic acid. The fries probably will do you more harm. Also, another poster made a very good point regarding the cumulative nature of exposure. To that I would add that you can become sensitized , i.e. allergic to a particular substance by repeated exposure, even after there is no trace of the substance in your body. If you have questions about chemicals, a good source of ready reference online is the "Merck Index". There are other sources used by professionals but I am not aware they are available online. In my experience, toxicology is best handled by toxicologists. General medical practitioners are less likely to help you so taking the MSDSs to your doctor can be of value only if he/she refers you to a toxicologist, unless of course the chemical in question is of the garden variety. Have a healthy spring.
Chris: Are you using enough air inlet area into your darkroom? Many times photographers will install a good exhaust fan and then no way for the air to get into the darkroom that the fan takes out. I found that in my darkroom, that created a partial vaccuum that made the fumes worse. A fresh air vent on the opposite side of the darkroom made things much better. Also, I turn on the exhaust fan and leave the door open for a few minutes before starting work to insure a supply of fresh air.
Regards,
Hi Chris, I am air conditioning installer/contractor and I just finshed a 6'x9' darkroom and I installed a inline fan that pulls around 150 cfm of air. I put the vent over the sink where the fix goes and have the air inlet coming from under the sink so the air raps around to make a air curtain. Also there is a duct from the a/c unit that also helps move air. It seems to be working well and there is some smell but with all the fresh air coming in I am happy with it. If you need any help please let me know, good luck David.
P.s. I also work with digital.
Chris, you've been given good advice. It would be useful to find out which chemicals you're sensitive to. Some chemicals are toxic and require a long time to eliminate. For some exposures, the damage is cumulative--adding insult to injury. Some chemicals cause sensitivity reactions--get rid of the chemical and the reaction goes away. It depends a great deal on the chemical, and the nature of the reaction depends a great deal on the individual.
I used to work with an individual who was very sensitive to acetic acid. It caused breathing problems. I found other products without acetic acid I could use to achieve the desired results. If I needed to work with acetic acid, I did so at night, and in the hood, after she was gone.
As mentioned, there are ways to get around many of the smells, either by changing chemistry or by changing ventilation. The hood idea is a very good one. I'd start by finding the offending chemical.
Dave
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