Is Ilford WarmTone developer that dangerous?

marciofs · Sep 28, 2015

I bought a Ilford WT developer and the pics on the bottle suggesting it is very toxic scared me. Then I read the aspect of it and it says it can causes cancer, skin allergy and irritation. So I got scared.

I print inside a 2m high tent, with a tube blowing a bit of air from a fan outide just to bring in fresh air. But still I got worried if it is that bad or I should not be worried about? Should I use gloves and mask?

I even thought about reselling it while it is still not open.

darkosaric · Sep 28, 2015

It is not only Warmtone, all developers are like that. Here is PQ universal disclaimer:

2 HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS
INHALATION
May cause irritation to the respiratory system.
INGESTION
Harmful if swallowed. May cause discomfort if swallowed.
SKIN CONTACT
Irritating to skin. May cause sensitization by skin contact. May cause allergic contact eczema.
EYE CONTACT
Irritation of eyes and mucous membranes. Repeated exposure may cause chronic eye irritation.
HEALTH WARNINGS
Prolonged or repeated exposure may cause severe irritation. May cause skin irritation/eczema. May cause sensitisation by skin contact.
Irritating to eyes.
Spray and vapor in the eyes may cause irritation and smarting.
May cause allergy. May cause hypersensitivity.
ROUTE OF ENTRY
Skin and/or eye contact. Ingestion.
MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS
May aggravate existing: Skin disorders and allergies. Pre-existing eye problems.
CARCINOGENICITY
Hydroquinone: Carcinogen Category 3. Mutagen Category 3. ACGIH A3 IARC 3 IARC Animal Carcinogen List. IARC Int. Agency for Cancer Research.

I use PQ universal, and will continue to do so, in very small bathroom with passive ventilation.
I know printers that are using PQ and similar developers for decades - and they are alive and healthy.

RobC · Sep 28, 2015

Alcohol in beverages is a proven human carcinogen and is classified as a Group 1 (proven cause) at http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/

Are you going to stop drinking alcohol? If not then why are you posting these type of messages.

marciofs · Sep 28, 2015

RobC said:
Alcohol in beverages is a proven human carcinogen and is classified as a Group 1 (proven cause) at http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/

Are you going to stop drinking alcohol? If not then why are you posting these type of messages.

I don't drink alchool at all.
And I don't smoke.

But Thanks... I just thought it could be more dangerous (like selenium) because of the pictures on the bottle, that others developers from Ilford doesn't have.

I few ok about it now.

RobC · Sep 28, 2015

its been said many many many times on this and other photography forums.

"Read the manufacturers handling instructions and follow them to the letter."

You only have yourself to blame if you don't follow the instructions and it all goes wrong.

Ian Grant · Sep 28, 2015

Ilford Warmtone developer is just a liquid PQ print developer and the hazards are the same as any other print developer, MQ or PQ, very low unless used improperly.

The reality is that many normal cleaning products used around the house are potentially far more dangerous and surprisingly not marked as such in many cases.

Ian

RobC · Sep 28, 2015

to put it in perspective, the Carcinogen Category is Group 3 whereas alcohol in beverages is Group 1. Group 1 is the proven category.

Since you don't drink developer and you should be wearing gloves, the risk is minute by comparison with drinking a pint of beer or glass of wine after every printing session.

Roger Cole · Sep 28, 2015

Good grief. In a word, no.

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StephenT · Sep 28, 2015

I use Nitryl gloves when developing, regardless of the developer. Don't worry - be happy - wear gloves - and don't sniff your solutions and you should be fine. You don't need a mask.

Doremus Scudder · Sep 28, 2015

This is the problem with over-zealous labeling. It amounts to crying wolf. Pretty soon, no one pays attention to them anymore and the real dangerous things get lost in the crowd. I especially hate instructions for screwdrivers and the like that caution one to use gloves, a hard hat and safety goggles....

Sure, chemicals need to be handled safely; spills need to be cleaned up and skin contact should be minimized. That said, hydroquinone, now labeled a carcinogen, was used for decades in skin-lightening creams (and still is in Asia I believe). You shouldn't have much skin contact with household bleach, drain cleaners, ammonia-based cleaners, window cleaners, etc., etc., none of which are marked as hazardous like photochemicals are, and many of which are more dangerous. If all those things were labeled with the same enthusiasm as photochemicals, you'd be scared to use them too!

Still, it's just a matter of common sense. Don't drink or bathe in your chemistry, limit skin contact by using tongs and/or gloves, don't splash around, clean up when your done and you'll be just fine.

Doremus

marciofs · Sep 28, 2015

I don't use gloves because normally I don't handle the paper with my fingers once it get wet. I only wear gloves to mix the solution and to bottle them back. But not during printing because it is easier to handle the paper and negatives without gloves.

I use tongs instead.

Thanks all for the enlightenment.

Roger Cole · Sep 28, 2015

What Doremus said.

I try not to get solutions on my hands, especially those containing metol (not sensitive and don't want to develop a sensitivity) but otherwise I just exercise reasonable care. I do use tongs for printing, though I have also been known to reach in if I got a print stuck to the bottom of a tray and couldn't get tongs on it or the like. I haven't used gloves since the last time in the 90s I worked with Ilfochrome bleach. About the only special thing I do is to use brown toner outside the darkroom with a fan.

There are a few things to be more careful of (like the above mentioned toner, and I'd be careful with pyro for example, though if I wanted to use it I WOULD use it) but the usual MQ/PQ/mild organic acid SB/fixers/hypo clears are remarkably low in hazards.

The point that many household items are more hazardous than most darkroom chemicals is spot on.

DREW WILEY · Sep 28, 2015

I use nitrile gloves with ALL and ventilation darkroom developers and other chemicals. Just common sense. Since I make mainly larger prints, tongs are not a practical alternative for me.

MDR · Sep 28, 2015

It's protection against frivolous lawsuits, that have been in Fashion for quiet some time, they warned the constumer not only in written words but also in pictures that film dev. are not suitable for human consumption. In this Society some Lemming Drinks a bottle of bleach or dev just to get some money out of it by suing the Company. In the end the only one who wins are the lawyers.

darkosaric · Sep 28, 2015

I was watching documentary about Daido Moriyama - and in one scene he mixes the developer for printing session with hands - but like hand till elbow in developer and mixing and mixing... no glows naturally .

DREW WILEY · Sep 28, 2015

There's another reason to use rubber gloves besides health. These rinse off a lot easier than skin and are less likely to transfer chem residue where you don't want it. There's nothing quite like fixer contamination all over doorknobs etc.

DREW WILEY · Sep 28, 2015

I hear all kinds of really stupid arguments. For instance, sodium sulfite is an antioxidant not only used in many darkroom developers but also
in many fastfood salads and cheap wines. Therefore it must be harmless. Right? Not exactly. There's a certain percent of the population
that is deathly allergic to it, just like peanut butter. And there are relatively mild ingredients like metol that often lead to dermatitis. Gloves
are so damn cheap these days that I really don't understand why anyone would want to act macho with any chemical.

Sirius Glass · Sep 28, 2015

Wear nitrile gloves, have good ventilation and do not drink the photo chemicals [unless you are developing with coffee or tea].

Roger Cole · Sep 28, 2015

Not acting macho just hate trying to do anything in gloves. My personal assessment of the risks with the usual substances is "slim to none, be reasonable otherwise don't worry, be happy." Everyone has to make their own assessment.

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Sirius Glass · Sep 28, 2015

I do not like using nitrile gloves but I use them when I use pyro.

Roger Cole · Sep 29, 2015

I would too if I used pyro.

It's all risk assessment. I'd use pyro if I wanted to, and deal with gloves.

I'm just personally comfortable with tongs and reasonable care with the more common B&W stuff.

marciofs · Sep 29, 2015

Since I do contact prints from middle format, It I feel the risk of damaging my negatives are higher with gloves because I don't feel the pelicule.

darkosaric · Sep 29, 2015

DREW WILEY said:
I hear all kinds of really stupid arguments. For instance, sodium sulfite is an antioxidant not only used in many darkroom developers but also
in many fastfood salads and cheap wines. Therefore it must be harmless. Right? Not exactly. There's a certain percent of the population
that is deathly allergic to it, just like peanut butter. And there are relatively mild ingredients like metol that often lead to dermatitis. Gloves
are so damn cheap these days that I really don't understand why anyone would want to act macho with any chemical.

I use glows - of course, I care about my hands. I was just mentioning Daido-san as an extreme, but somehow he is still alive and kicking (76 years old). I wanted to say that all those disclaimers and warnings are just protection against lawsuit. One should just use common sense and nothing bad will happen.

Is Ilford WarmTone developer that dangerous?

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