Health risks of developing B&W at home

[Roel]

I'm developing my own B&W films since 2 years in the kitchen. Must say I am quit happy with the results of my films.

Love to load my M6/M5 with Tmax 400 @1600 and get a kick out of the doing it myself routine.

At the same time the Monochrom is very appealing but one of the reasons to not go that route is the analog 'kick' i just described.

I did never take into account the possible health riscs i get myself into when developing the stuff at home.

What do you guys think about the health risc/danger of working with the chemicals at home. At the moment i use D76 developer and before I used Amaloco AM74. Tmax for fixer.

Is it something i should take into account? How bad is it?

 

[Noll]

This is something I'm interested in too - but am not an expert in toxicology. What I do know is MSDS sheets should be available online for you developer and fixer - find them and read them.

Exposure depends on your developing habits. I develop in my bathroom with the exhaust fan on for ventilation and wear disposable rubber gloves, and clean the countertops off thoroughly when done. I don't like the idea of fixer residues getting on my dishes, or into my skin.

 

[anjoca76]

From my understanding, there are a lot variables. Ventilation, gloves, cleanliness, etc., all play a role. Not to mention, not all chemicals are the same.

I think I do a good job of trying to keep things safe, but who know? The only time I can really "feel" the harshness of the chemicals is when I mix up a fresh batch of developer and/or fixer. And by feel, I suppose I mean smell.

 

[Jan Pedersen]

As long as you take good measures to avoid direct contact with the chemistry you use as it sounds like you do already, the risk is very small.
It is a greater risk eating the food you buy in the grocery store today than developing your own film. Animals are treated with hormones and who knows what to promote growth, fruit trees are sprayed with pesticides and veggies fertilized with who knows what.
Develop away and enjoy the process.

 

[santino]

powder developer seems to be more of a concern but it shouldn't just be inhaled and thats it.

 

[kbg32]

Developing film at home is not much of a risk, unless you inadvertently drink the chemistry or don't wash your hands afterwards. Ventilation is also not a problem when developing film. Printing on the other hand is an entirely different story. It really used to bother me flushing the chemistry down the drain or the toilet afterwards. Ventilation is very much a concern as well. Mixing powered chemistry too. A paper mask is the least requirement.

 

[xia_ke]

I never worried much about it to be honest. Always seemed like most household cleaners are far worse than standard developing chemicals. When I was shooting 4x5 I used to tray develop in Rodinal barehanded and only problem I ever had was slightly drier skin due to its corrosive nature. Nothing a little lotion couldn't cure. I'm always very thorough with clean-up, but more so because I'm worried about staining work surfaces. The only time I take extra precautions is with selenium toner as I read that it can leach into your skin and definitely need good ventilation with that due to strong ammonia smell.

Edit: While typing my reply I see some have mentioned powdered chemicals. I've only ever used liquid concentrates and therefore never had to worry about dust inhalation issues.

 

[Steve M.]

What Jan said. My Paterson tank leaks a little, so I get chemicals onto the kitchen counter at times, but I just give it a good wipe down afterwards. The rags are rinsed well in the sink when I'm done, and laid onto the side of the wash hamper to dry, then washed w/ the other stuff. Make sure to rinse them well. You should exercise normal caution when mixing any powdered chemicals. Since D76 has to have hot water that needs to be cked for temp on the stove, I basically do everything under the vent hood w/ the fan on, and don't stand directly over it when stirring it. Pouring it out of the bag will definitely release fine particulates into the air, so again, don't stand right over it. I also use a bandana over my nose and mouth while keeping it under the vent hood w/ the fan on. Maybe overkill, but better safe than....

Always use gloves, and I make sure to keep my glasses on in case of a splash. Again, not standing right on top of things will eliminate splash issues. And never ever use any kitchen pans or spoons to mix anything unless you plan on using them only for your chemicals from now on. Everything should be clearly labeled as poison and which poison it is if you store your chemicals in old wine bottles, water bottles, etc, and I keep everything in a separate counter under the sink all together. Obviously if you have kids you will need a safer place. Our cat loves to open counters to see what's in there and go in and ck things out, so I had to put a latch on that counter.

Contact your city's water/sewer dept to see what chemicals are OK to pour down the drain, and which need to be saved and taken to a waste disposal place. Every city seems to have their own ideas on this. If you are on a septic tank, research what you are allowing to leach into the surrounding ground water.

 

[Moto-Uno]

I would add the use of rubber tipped tongs to the shopping list of safety items for tray development . Peter

 

[Highway 61]

Living is of some great health risks : at the end of the day, you die.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Have you tried RTFM?
Kodak doesn't seems to be lying about their products as old tobacco companies.

But if you need an excuse to buy M, yes, b/w film processing at home is extremely dangerous 😱

 

[mllanos1111]

Interesting I was just thinking about this, this morning.
I know many old timers that were processing and printing for over 40 years and I can't recall one of them coming down with anything related to the film chemicals.

 

[Bob Michaels]

I knew a guy who developed b&w film daily for about 50 years for his camera store / photo lab and he died. OK, he was in his 80's.

 

[Godfrey]

BW chemistry is pretty innocuous (don't drink it). Color chemistry is nastier.
I haven't worried too much about it this past half century.

G

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

There is one known problem with developer: it can harm your skin. I suffered from quite serious damage to my hands when I was young and too stupid to wear gloves.

The dermatologist who treated me, explained that it's an allergic reaction and different people are sensitive to different developers. Being in London, though, he saw a substantial number of people who worked in darkrooms at that time (late 'sixties). I started wearing rubber gloves and haven't had a problem since, despite making many thousands of prints and developing an awful lot of film.

 

[mike rosenlof]

Most of the widely available chemistry for B/W processing is not seriously toxic.

Some people have or develop allergic reactions to developing agents (I think Metol is particularly common). No doubt, there are some suspected carcinogens. You can always get and read the MSD sheet on the chemicals you plan to use.

Most stop bath is either acetic acid (vinnegar) or citric acid (common food additive).

Most fixers are either sodium or amonium thiosulfate as their primary ingedient.

When developing sheet film which involves contact with the chemicals, I wear gloves. Not because of any specific agents, it just seems like a decent idea. Boxes of exam gloves are cheap at Costco.

I don't wear gloves with roll films in tanks, little to no contact, or when printing. I handle wet prints with tongs.

Read the MSDS!

 

[bjornkeizers]

When I researched about home development, safety was of course one factor. I found nothing to indicate that we're at any significant risk.

I of course take some common sense precautions: I mixed the chemicals in a slow and safe way, I wear gloves when developing, I use separate measuring cylinders and spoons to stir, use dedicated thermometers, don't just pour stuff down the sink but bottle it safely, etc.

As long as you're not drinking the stuff, it all seems quite safe. I don't see a need to go full out with the tyvek space suit, goggles, rebreather, etc.

 

[Takkun]

I used to use XTOL, which is a powdered developer that uses vitamin C and phenidone, neither of which cause dermatitis.

More concerning is the house (and clothes, and the cat) smelling like fixer.

 

[mwoenv]

Spend $20 and get a pair of lab goggles and a box of nitrile gloves. Then just work carefully, avoiding spills and drips or cleaning them up right away. Have decent ventilation, and store chemicals in a plastic tote. I also put on a dust mask when making up powdered chemicals and wipe down any nearby counter or table afterwards. Keep food and dishes/glasses away from the work area. May sound overly cautious but it's easy to take these preventive measures. Same with color chemicals.

The safety data sheets should be read so you know what to do in case of an accident (large splash on your skin or accidental ingestion). The exposure levels provided are really for occupational exposure, i.e., for workers who are in a lab all day and where the air quality is measured occasionally.

 

[Freakscene]

http://www.amazon.com/Overexposure-...397166167&sr=8-1&keywords=Overexposure+health

Marty