Safety in Handling Photographic Chemicals

With a good negative and good sense, a good print is inevitable, 

Toxic chemicals can enter your body in three ways breathing them, absorbing them through your skin, or swallowing them. 

While the majority of darkroom chemicals are not harmful with occasional exposure, exposure to any chemical is never good, even household cleaners. Suppose you clean your house once a week with an over-the-counter heavy-duty household cleaner. Certainly you should use gloves, but what if you don t No lasting harm will necessarily come to you. But suppose you make your living as a janitor and use the same household cleaner every day. In this case it is imperative that you use gloves due to the high incident of exposure. The same is true for the darkroom. 

The following list of basic safety procedures are not designed to frighten you but to ensure that you have a long and safe career in photography. Remember that your eyes, lungs, and skin are porous membranes and can absorb chemical vapors, liquids, and powders. Most of the procedures are common sense. 

1 Common household latex gloves are not chemical-proof. Gloves for the darkroom should be made with neoprene or nitril. 

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The wet side includes the sink and an area in which to mix chemistry. If there is no place other than the sink to mix chemistry you can place the mixing vessels and powders into a dry tray. Gloves should be worn when handling chemicals (Appendix 1 Safety in Handling Photographic Chemicals). The following is a list of recommended and optional items. 

The two main ingredients in chromium intensifier—potassium dichromate and hydrochloric acid—are both hazardous chemicals. Hydrochloric acid can burn a hole in your skin, and dichromate can cause serious skin irritation. Handle chromium intensifier with gloves and use a respirator, observing all safety precautions (Appendix 1 Safety in Handling Photographic Chemicals). 

Refer to Appendix 1 Safety in Handling Photographic Chemicals for explicit safety instructions and for a list of 24-hour poison center hotlines. 

The chemicals used for toning are among the most toxic in photography. If proper safety procedures are adhered to (Appendix 1 Safety in Handling Photographic Chemicals), there should be no more danger than in any other process. Here are some additional precautions ... 

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