Please can you tell if most of toners require safety precautions ? Gloves are certainly recommanded, but I have been tpld (by a Photogrpahy teacher and a professionnal lab worker) that selenium toning solution is higly toxic, and requires a respirator.

-- maquette (maquett@wanadoo.fr), June 15, 1999

Answers

If you know a Photography teacher and a professional lab worker, you should probably follow his/her advice.

Could you ask if this is just for mixing selenium toner from dry chemicals (yes, I think you need a respirator), or also when using the resulting solutions (I don't think you need a respirator). Don't get it on your skin.

Also, I seem to recall that the hydrogen sulphide ('rotten eggs') generated by the traditional sepia process is more poisonous then hydrogen cyanide.

Most of the chemicals we use have their dangers. You should certainly follow any cautions given on the packaging, and so on.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), June 16, 1999.

There used to be a book called "Over Exposure" that gave excellent information on the handling and toxicity of photo chemicals and processes. Don't know if it's still in publication, but you might find it at a good library.

-- James D. Steele (jdsteele@erols.com), June 16, 1999.

You can get Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on any product. These will tell you what the manufacturer recommends for protection while using the product.

Most Kodak MSDSs are available via their web site, for others call or write them and they will send them to you. In the US they are REQUIRED to supply them.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), June 16, 1999.

All heavy metals are toxic. Long-term exposure to selenium toner is not recommended, but proper ventilation and gloves are adequate protection for darkroom workers.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edbuffaloe@earthlink.net), June 16, 1999.

To my knowledge, the extreme toxicity of selenium is only a problem when dust is released (powders, toners for copying machines), when you swallow the solution, or when you have direct skin contact. As far as I know, the solutions in ready-mix toners do not release any selenium that you could inhale.

-- Thomas Wollstein (wollstein@compuserve.com), June 18, 1999.