Special Environments

Some environments can expose people to toxic chemicals and require special consideration. These include working with arts and crafts, child care/school settings, work places, and waste sites.

Arts and Crafts

There are three major types of hazards when dealing with arts and crafts:

• heavy metals (lead and mercury)
• organic solvents (paint thinners and cleaners)
• dust and fibers (asbestos, silica powders)

Unlike commercial house paint, art supplies are not regulated. Therefore many artists' paints contain metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and cobalt. Other supplies such as inks, glazes, pastels, enamels, and solder can also contain these metals.

Organic solvents are used as cleaners, thinners and are even found in  rubber cement. Organic solvents can cause irritation, nerve damage and death if ingested.

Dust and fibrous material like asbestos, silica, talc, lead, cadmium and mercury are generated while mixing powdered pigments, glazes, clay, and pastels with water or oil. The fibers and dust can get into your lungs and cause scarring of the lungs or be absorbed into your blood stream.

Many of the affects that these chemicals can cause can be avoided by following directions or avoiding use of art supplies with harmful contents.