Re: Interesting Chat

On Tue, 02 Dec 2003 20:32:12 GMT, "Matt Clara"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>
>> I do know that many of the "old hands" have left the wet
>> darkroom because of concerns about the toxicity of the
>> chemicals involved -- and not just imagined effects, but
>> real and diagnosed effects, after years of exposure.
>
>Such as?
>

Sorry, I can't recall specific examples; the comment 
above was based on several years' active membership 
in various listservs (mailing lists) where these subjects 
came up frequently.

Here are a few hits from a simple google search.

<http://www.asrt.org/profession_glance/pdf/aug_scan_1999.pdf>

<http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003DjN>

<http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0054mW>

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1558211810/002-9308641-2505636?v=glance>

Or this, from a post to rec.photo.darkroom, 2001-02-25:

  "an unusual number of my old friends who
   worked  15, 20 and 25 years in the darkroom business 
  have died of varius "weird" cancers.  Others have 
  contracted strange neurological disorders that require 
  serious medications. I can't help but to think that 
  extended exposure to the chemicals and fumes 
  contributed greatly to their illnesses."


I was an active member of Mitch Leben's Epson 
listserv when Arnie Gassan passed away.  And 
another listserv member, Jerry Olson, died 
earlier this year at age 62 or so.  Many anecdotes 
along the way from members who'd spent years 
and years working in wet darkrooms.

Granted, back in those old days (thirty years ago, 
when I did most of my wet-darkroom work) we 
didn't really take chemical safety all that seriously.
Our home darkroom wasn't ventilated, and we 
swished prints through trays by hand, without 
gloves.


rafe b.
http://www.terrapinphoto.com