Safety Issues for Plat/Plad

[jwest]

Hi All,
I was just wondering what people usually use to protect themselves from the chemicals when printing platinum/palladium. I took a workshop and the teacher didn't use ANYTHING. I use gloves but that's it, and now I'm concerned that I should have been using a mask/respirator all along. I'd appreciate hearing what other people use.

Thanks!
Jay

 

[traupach]

I definitely use gloves when developing Pl/Pd prints, but I do not when coating the paper. The other exposure route is respitory by breathing in the dust generated during this process. I wear a dust mask when mixing potassium oxalate developer and ferric oxalate. Also, when drying the coated paper I open the door to the outside and blow over the paper with the hair dryer in that direction. I have heard and read about photographers suffering from long term health effects from breathing pl/pd dust over long periods of time. I would not be so concerned about chronic exposure from one workshop , but would consider additional safety steps when printing from now on.
Thomas

 

[reellis67]

I seem to remember reading that Imogen Cunningham once visited a friend that did Platinum printing who had lost the use of one eye because she touched her face with some emulsion on her fingertip. I would certainly use caution with any chemicals, but especial so with those that stain organic matter permanently.

- Randy

 

[Jorge]

The stuff is deadly, stay away from it!