Lokk at Bret Weston's comments about Amidol HERE. Uncalled for?
Lokk at Bret Weston's comments about Amidol HERE. Uncalled for?
Why do you think it's uncalled for? Amidol is a corrosive carcinogen. It's better for people to be educated and make logical decisions on whether or not to use it. It can be safe to use with proper protective gear, but that doesn't make it any less harmful.
Don't drink more than a liter a day.
- Leigh
I don't know if it's uncalled for or not. I use it exclusively. Should I not? According to Brett, I shouldn't.
Wow. I have to be honest, I'm shocked at the responses her so far. Makes me pause. But, so many other photographers use it and live to tell about it so...?????????
If it's so deadly, why do so many photographers use it? And why are they all not dropping dead like Brett?
Really??? Am I the only person that sees a dichotomy between folks like M.A.S. who claims Amidol to be holy water and Brett Weston who refused to touch it????
I'm starting to feel very naive.
Brett "dropped dead" at 81 years old. I don't think it was Amidol that killed him.
Pyro is also "dangerous" and should be handled with care. Many people are allergic most all photographic chemicals, and they can't spend time in the darkroom at all. I handle Pyro with gloves, and if I used Amidol, I'd be using gloves with it, too.
Don't worry about it; just don't drink it. (I was told about a case where a fellow had been using his empty JD bottles for his photo chems. His house was burgled and also stolen were the JD bottles. The thief's uncle had been drinking, and wanted more whiskey. The thief's uncle then proceded to down the photog's chemistry in the JD bottles, and of course died. The thief then contact the police, and got them to charge the photog with poisoning. The photog of course got off scott free, because the bottles had been labled, and the bottles were stolen from his house.)
My guess, and only a guess, is that Brett's working methods were such that he was in contact with whatever he used...and perhaps he preferred not to change his working habits -- and instead, changed the developer to a less toxic one. Perhaps Brett was not comfortable wearing gloves, for example.
And from my own experience, when one has been around these chemicals for several decades, one can become hype-sensitive to them. It takes less exposure to push us over the line.
I do not see the dichotomy. I do not think M.A.S. has ever recommended that people touch Amidol -- use it, yes, but touch it, no.
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