CHEMICAL HAZARDS AND PROTECTION Chemical Hazards Some (but not all) ceramic materials can be toxic or hazardous

to human health. In order to harm you, those materials must first enter your body through 1 of the following exposure routes inhalation-- breathing in the material ingestion-- eating the material absorption-- absorbing the material when it touches skin or eyeballs Some people are at higher risk than others, when exposed to ceramic chemicals. They are: Children pregnant women people trying to conceive nursing mothers persons with chronic diseases of heart, lung, liver, etc. Ceramic materials have both acute and chronic effects: Acute effectthe result of only 1 exposure. Chronic effectthe result of many small exposures. Toxic ceramic materials that you breathe, ingest, or absorb can travel via the bloodstream to other organs--affecting the brain, central nervous system, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, bladder, reproductive system, etc. Ex: breathing Manganese Dioxide or Lead can cause central nervous system damage. Breathing silica can damage the lungs. Silica Hazard All clays, slips and glazes contain silica, which is toxic by inhalation. Exposure to silica can cause silicosis (a disease which scars the lungs air sacs) or lung cancer. Silicosis resembles emphysema, and is an irreversible condition. A carcinogen is a substance which causes cancer. A number of ceramic materials are known or suspected carcinogens. They include: lead, silica, cadmium, chrome, iron chromate, nickel, and asbestoscontaminated talc. A teratogen is a substance which harms the growing fetus in the womb. Ex: lead. A mutagen is a substance which, before fertilization, damages the human egg or sperm. Ex: lead. The danger that a ceramic chemical poses for you is based on: your personal susceptibility (Ex: high risk group) the amount you take into your body the number of times you are exposed the toxicity of that material (expressed as PEL or Permissible Exposure Limit) PEL: The PEL (permissible exposure limit) tells the toxicity of a material and how much of it you can inhale before it damages your body. The PEL is expressed in milligrams per cubic meter of air. A milligram is about the size of a pencil point. A cubic meter of air is about 3 x 3 x 3. Coppers PEL is 1 mg. Leads PEL is .5 mg meaning Lead is more toxic.

Exposure Routes

High risk groups

Acute effect vs. Chronic

Organ damage

Carcinogen

Teratogen Mutagen Risk Factors

PROTECTION FROM CHEMICAL HAZARDS NIOSH OSHA Texas Dept. of Health Sources of Information MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets)--contain information about the toxicity of a material and MUST be given to workers by their employers. It is often available to purchasers. non profit organization in NYC, gives safety information to artists (National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health) creates safety standards for private schools, businesses & industry (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) enforces safety standards for private schools, businesses, & industry has adopted NIOSH safety standards for public schools

Center for Safety in the Arts Artist Beware LHAMA

Dr. Michael McCann--a good resource book, gives safety information to artists Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act, passed by Congress in 1988 and put into effect in 1990. Before this act, the only labeling required was for immediate hazards, not long-term effects. Too bad we dont have this system for the food we eat!!!

Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act: This act requires that art materials be labeled as to the known danger of their chemicals, including chronic, long-term effects on your health. Conforms to ASTM D4236 Toxic or Health Warning is a label which means the product has been tested and labeled as to its safety or danger. BUT you must look elsewhere on the label to see if the product is dangerous or not. is a label indicating that the product contains ingredients whose "physical form, volume or concentration, in the opinion of a toxicologist, has the potential to produce a chronic adverse health effect." You will see the words "Caution" or "Warning" or a seal. The old "HL" Health Label is currently being replaced with a "CL" seal.

Non-toxic

is a label which means that while the product may contain toxic ingredients-the form, volume, or concentration has not been determined to be dangerous. HOWEVER, the Labeling Act also warns: " Since knowledge about chronic health hazards is incomplete and warnings cannot cover all uses of any product, it is not possible for precautionary labeling to ensure completely safe use of an art product." . . . This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. "

Experts also warn: "There are over 100,000 chemicals used in commerce and only about 900 have been studied worldwide for their cancer effects. And LHAMA does not prohibit manufacturers from labeling untested chemicals as nontoxic." In other words, you should think of "NONTOXIC" as meaning "POSSIBLY LESS TOXIC." A common seal for this "possibly less toxic" product is the AP (Approved seal). CERAMIC STUDIO RULES: Dont breathe dust Dont eat ceramic materials capture all dust using water (wet sponge, wet paper towels, or wet vac as directed) clean up spills immediately, before they turn to dust all sanding, dry scraping, grinding should take place indoors by the sculpture exhaust fan, or outdoors with NIOSH approved respirator no food or drink in the studio during class: keep your hands away from your mouth at the end of class: wash your hands and under your fingernails use latex or rubber gloves when touching ceramic materials that are toxic by touch. These include: 1) all glazes 2) some slips (those with toxic colorants or stains) 3) many washes 4) a few special clay bodies (those with toxic colorants or stains) use clear goggles when ceramic materials might splash into your eyes keep kiln ventilation systems ON when electric kilns are firing or cooling dont linger in the kiln room when kilns are firing or cooling when raku-firing, avoid breathing smoke Glazes, colored slips, and washes go into the Glaze Room's Glaze Recycle Buckets. From there, they go into the large blue drum outside. They should NEVER go into the clay recycle buckets (they would then become part of our new clay), and NEVER into the courtyard drain (their toxic chemicals will end up in the City's Drinking water). After wet-vac of the Glaze Room floor, empty the contents in the outdoor Blue Drum. dont wear studio shoes in your home wash studio clothes, aprons & towels separately from your other laundry If you do studio work at home, try to do it outside. NOT in your kitchen! follow the same safety regulations at home that we use in the HCC studio be especially aware that children are at high risk for exposure

Dont absorb ceramic materials

Dont breathe kiln gases or kiln fumes

Dispose of ceramic materials in a safe manner

Dont expose yourself or your family at home