38 replies to this topic

[MonkeySloth]

Apparently Acrylics aren't as safe as advertised as they produce formaldehyde as they dry:

"Acrylic paint has been represented for decades to be "completely safe" because it is water-based, and therefore does not require a solvent to clean up. This is a myth, however, as the formaldehyde released by the paint in drying and absorbed by the skin from paint on hands, especially under the fingernails (which is highly absorbent) can lead to health problems. Don't believe the "safe" claims associated with acrylics--they should not be used by students in unventilated classrooms, for example, nor should they be freely allowed contact with the skin."

Sources:

http://wiki.answers....lic_paint_toxic


Be intersting to see if this is how all Acrylics behave or only certain ones or if there's any truth to this as there are no refrences and that wili.answers.com post is pretty non-objective. Hopeuflly the people that really know paint that visit this forum can shed some light on this.

[buglips*the*goblin]

I have seen this mentioned before - here, for example: http://www.trueart.info/paints.htm but I think the exposure risk is exaggerated. Even if a toxic constituent is present, that doesn't mean it's present at toxic or unsafe levels - and that's rather an important distinction.

[Atramagus]

I was just looking at that site. It mentioned this:

ACRYLIC PAINTS (WATER-BASED EMULSIONS) are composed of synthetic acrylic resins and pigments with many additives usually including an ammonia-containing stabilizer and formaldehyde preservatives. The small amounts of ammonia and formaldehyde released during drying can cause respiratory irritation and allergies. Formaldehyde has caused cancer in animals. A low rate of dilution ventilation such as that provided by a window exhaust fan should be sufficient.

Still is something to think about - my fiance has some asthma, so we'll have to make sure wherever we paint is at least somewhat ventilated.

[Nocturne]

With the amount of painting I get done it's no health risk at all.

[Baphomet69]

I don't know, what does formaldehyde taste like?

Maybe that's why we'll live forever...we'll be embalmed...

[MonkeySloth]

I have seen this mentioned before - here, for example: http://www.trueart.info/paints.htm but I think the exposure risk is exaggerated. Even if a toxic constituent is present, that doesn't mean it's present at toxic or unsafe levels - and that's rather an important distinction.

Oh I agree as we'd all be dead sick if it was a big issue. Though there are oobviouslypeople that are more susceptible to this then others. One of the reasons I posted this is I know Reaper employees have drank their paint in the past to show it's non-toxic so I would hope they don't have the ammonia and gformaldehydein their paints.

[buglips*the*goblin]

I once accidentally drank some Reaper paint. While it didn't harm me or make me go blind it was an interesting time the next morning.

Colorful.

[Baphomet69]

I once accidentally drank some Reaper paint. While it didn't harm me or make me go blind it was an interesting time the next morning.

Colorful.

Ah, the old Fruit Loops Effect...

[Reaperbryan]

With the minute amounts of paint used in miniatures, I believe there is little risk. Acrylic paints are often used in interior applications in house painting, and while "good ventilation" is specified, no requirement for breathing apparatus exists, and we are talking about gallons of simultaneously drying/fuming paint, verses fractions of an ounce.

We painted our interior walls in a paint provided by the same supplier that provides our acrylic base, and the can featured only the same warnings on all paint.

Much like when you buy plywood, it is stamped to say that it includes chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer - notably "wood dust". That's right. Everything will kill you. Wood. Dust.

[Shakandara]

The problem with plywood dust is not that it is wood dust, but rather that plywood is made by pressing thin sheets of wood together with one of several types of formaldehyde-based glues (the type depends on the intended usage of the plywood), so the sawdust generated by plywood contains formaldehyde. Fortunately, inhaling sawdust particulates is easy to prevent, as there is no aerosolization that happens. A simple dust mask is very effective for this, even when the wood dust is a result of sanding (says the guy who spent many years making boomerangs from aircraft grade plywood).

~v

Edited by Shakandara, 20 September 2012 - 01:39 PM.

[nytflyr]

it is stamped to say that it includes chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer - notably "wood dust". That's right. Everything will kill you. Wood. Dust.

they test for cancer on lab rats... animals susceptible to getting cancer... according to that, corn and cedar chips will give you cancer... (had three die of cancer)

[Pingo]

I have some acrylic medium to add to paints to make them more fabric-compatible. It has to be set by heat, and during that time it releases enough formaldehyde to make one's throat burn. I have used an OSHA respirator since the first time.

Yes, acrylic paints contain formaldehyde and ammonia. Don't paint with them in a sealed room, but it's not like turpentine or anything. Just a little ventilation and you're fine unless you're already sensitized.

[Adrift]

With the amount of painting I get done it's no health risk at all.

I paint a lot and even have some of the paint on my skin for extended times and have never had a problem. That said, I'm not a highly sensitive person with respect to allergens and what not.

Truthfully, with the microbes we battle in the cardiac ICU my miniature paint is low on the totem pole of what I'm afraid of.

[Reaperbryan]

Every compound you can name, no matter how scary, has a safe level; and every compound, no matter how natural, has a toxic level.

A good example is plutonium, one of the most dangerous substances known. Suppose you heard on the news that plutonium was found in your drinking water at ten times the normal level, even a hundred times the normal level. Should you be concerned? Yes, we should probably address it; but would those levels put anyone's health at risk? Not even remotely. No matter how scary the media might try to make that sound, plutonium occurs naturally on Earth, and every person and animal that ever lived has an average of about 20,000,000 plutonium atoms in their bone marrow, simply because we live on this planet. This most toxic of compounds has a normal, safe, background level that is way, way below the level at which it becomes dangerous.
This is what's so hard for many people to accept: You hear "pesticides" and you think "Oh my gosh, there is no safe level of that." Not true. Anything can be diluted below hazardous levels, and the reverse is also true. Any compound can be concentrated above hazardous levels. You can die from drinking too much pure water (we call this water intoxication), and you can die from breathing too much pure oxygen (we call this oxygen toxicity). Everything can be a poison (like soy beans), and everything can be safe (like box jellyfish neurotoxin): the only thing that differentiates them is the dose.
The bottom line is simple. Don't accept sensationalized news articles that only tell you how far above normal levels some toxin has been found. The only thing that matters is how that level compares to a safe level.



Ok, but what about Formaledhyde? Safe levels according to the EPA are 16ppb (parts per billion). Homes with walls painted with Acrylic paint are measured at .07 PPB immediately after construction. (Source: Wikipedia) To clarify: per 1 billion molecules of air, 16 can be formaledhyde before it is dangerous. At .1 per billion (or 1 per ten billion) irritation can occur to sensitive individuals. After painting your house, there will be 7 parts per Hundred Billion.

Now, think about how much less paint you are putting on a mini than you are putting on a house.

[buglips*the*goblin]

Scientastic!