Safety

[drdag]

After the post raisng environmental concerns ( I am sure we are all trying to do the right thing). I thought that I would pose some safety questions.
How do you clean up spilt mercury, is there anything that neutralises it? I was told once, sulphur powder, I dont know if this is right.
Inhalation or skin contact with iodine, or Bromine what do we do?

If anyone has any emergency tips then we all may be better prepared should something awful happen.

[greg7mdp]

google "mercury spill kit"

[Andy Stockton]

I ran across this somewhat sobering video from Bowling Green State University tonight. They have developed a method of visualizing mercury vapors being given off at room temperature. They show various quantities in a number of substrates. Although I do believe that mercury can be handled safely, this film was still quite an eye-opener for me. It made the issue much more real.

http://wbgustream.bgsu.edu/bgsu/epa/index-fl.html

[photolytic]

Great video Andy. Thanks for posting this.

The standard laboratory method for handling mercury spills involves sprinkling powdered zinc on the spill. This binds with the mercury forming a clumped mercury amalgam solid which can be more easily removed and handled by standard toxic solids disposal methods. It is curious that the video showed direct vacuuming of liquid mercury rather than the more easily contained amalgam method. Since most mercury amalgams, like the “silver” fillings in some dental caries, still give off some mercury vapor, they need to be properly disposed. It would have been very informative to visualize the mercury release from amalgams using this UV light method.

John

[Andy Stockton]

For any interested – my latest post is about a test of the Mercury Indicating Powder I purchased from Lab Safety Supply.

http://www.thedaguerreotypist.com/tdg1/wordpress/2009/03/09/mercury-test/

[Bingtan]

the more I read about dag, the more I love it but the scarier it gets as well…does it make sense to probably create the same setup as the video did for the fume hood? paint it with a fluorescent background and light it up w black light so we can at least see the vapors that we’re dealing with during development?

[Bakody]

Is it necessary to wear gas mask when we using/handle iodine? Is anyone wearing it? Or just when you work with mercury.

http://daginhun.blogspot.com/
 http://www.facebook.com/DagerrotipiaDaguerreotype

[Andy Stockton]

Perhaps John Hurlock/photolytic will pitch in again on this topic as the forum member with both the experience and professional credentials to speak authoritatively on chemical safety. As a public health nurse the message I give out is that there is an important safety component involved in being a daguerreian; you can put yourself, your family and even your neighbors at risk if you don’t pay attention.

At the same time it is definitely possible to do this process safely if you follow correct procedures. There is no particular reason to be afraid of the process if you take the time to learn what you need to know. We deal with numerous dangerous things in our daily lives – gasoline in our cars, natural gas or propane in water heaters and furnaces, electrical appliances, driving on the freeway, etc. By learning about the dangers involved we reduce our risk. Being a daguerreotypist is no different.

To Bingtan I would say no to the idea of setting up your hood to mimic the Bowling Green mercury vapor film. That process is done with shortwave ultraviolet light which has it’s own health risks – nasty sunburn being the simplest. More important is to set up a proper externally venting fume hood and then measure it regularly with a flow meter to ensure that it is working. Using a smoke source like incense can also give an indication of the effectiveness of your hood.

To Bakody concerning gas masks when using iodine – it is probably overkill if you have an adequate fume hood. All of the halogens can damage lung tissue. Bromine is often seen as more dangerous because we use it in a form that can be spilled, but fumes of either in any concentration can create tissue damage of the airways. The “advantage” the halogens have over mercury is that you always know when you are breathing them. Mercury vapor is much harder to detect as an odor.

I also encourage all practitioners to develop outside storage for their process chemicals and equipment if at all possible. A small fume leak being diluted by outside air is one thing, a small leak building up over time inside your living space is another thing entirely. If you must store inside, be vigilant and test for leaks using any tools you have access to.

There is more to this than can be covered in a short post, but there are endless sources of info on the web. Read freely and stay safe.

Andy

[Bakody]

Thank you for your answer. I don’t have a fume hood at the moment, just a shed in the garden. I want to start to make B-dags first.

http://daginhun.blogspot.com/
 http://www.facebook.com/DagerrotipiaDaguerreotype

[Javi]

I imagine that, like me, many beginners do not have a “proper” workplace to carry on daguerrean activities. The time & economic effort needed to master this technique may encourage beginners to invest more in equipment rather than safety. This is completely wrong. Make sure safety comes first! Using mercury and bromine at home without a fume hood is out of the question. In the case of Becquerel, I store the iodine fuming box outside in the balcony (away from direct sun) and take it for sensitizing inside the bathroom (with extractor), put on gloves and a proper gas mask. After, I make sure to open all windows to ventilate the area.

A question I have for the more experienced, in the event of not having a fuming hood, how “safe” and “effective” is to sensitize (iodine & quickie) plus develop (mercury) outdoors (ex: at night in the wild / in the attic)?

Cheers!

Javi

[Bakody]

Are you wearing full face gas mask or half face? A company want to sell to me a full face gas mask, because they think it’s necessary to use when you are handle iodine. Am I need a full face gas mask?

http://daginhun.blogspot.com/
 http://www.facebook.com/DagerrotipiaDaguerreotype

[Javi]

Hi,

I am wearing a half face mask for prevention’s sake. Please note that I am using a fuming box with a slider so exposure to iodine is minimal. You could also use eye protection with the half face mask if you don’t want to use a full face mask.

Javi

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