Toxicologist – an individual who, through education, training, and experience has expertise in the field of toxicology as it relates to human exposure and is either a toxicologist or physician certified by a nationally recognized certification board.
Art materials that contain the following chronic hazard labeling are inappropriate for use by children, pregnant or nursing women, persons with pre-existing skin, eye, or lung conditions, and persons with compromised immune systems:
1.
May cause sterility.
2.
Contact may cause permanent eye damage.
3.
May be harmful by breathing vapors/dusts.
4.
May be harmful if swallowed.
5.
May be harmful by skin contact.
6.
May produce birth defects in the developing fetus.
7.
May be excreted in human milk.
8.
May cause harm to the nursing infant.
9.
Cancer Agent! Exposure may produce cancer.
10.
Cancer agent based on tests with laboratory animals.
11.
Possible cancer agent based on tests with laboratory animals.
12.
May produce allergic reaction by ingestion/inhalation/skin contact.
13.
May produce numbness or weakness in the extremities.
14.
Exposure may cause (specify the organ(s)) damage.
15.
Heating/combustion may cause hazardous decomposition products.
Art materials that contain the following precautionary
statement labeling are inappropriate for use by children, pregnant or nursing
women, persons with compromised immune systems and persons with pre-existing
skin, eye, or lung conditions:
1.
Keep out of reach of children.
2.
When using do not eat, drink, or smoke.
3.
Wash hands immediately after use.
4.
Avoid inhalation/ingestion/skin contact.
5.
Avoid fumes from combustion.
6.
Keep container tightly closed when not in use.
7.
Store in well-ventilated area.
8.
Wear protective clothing (specify type).
9.
Wear protective goggles/face shield.
10.
Wear NIOSH-certified respirator with appropriate cartridge for (specify).
11.
Wear NIOSH-certified supplied-air respirator.
12.
Use window exhaust fan to remove vapors and ensure adequate cross
ventilation. (Specify explosion-proof if necessary.)
13.
Do not heat above (specify temperature) without adequate ventilation.
14.
Use (specify type) local exhausting hood.
15.
Do not use/mix with (specify material).
If an art material producer or repackager becomes newly aware of any significant information regarding the hazards of an art material or ways to protect against the hazard, this new information must be incorporated into the labels of such art materials that are manufactured after 12 months from the date of discovery.
Who is the ACMI? – The
ACMI is a voluntary organization and is composed of over 200 members who are
manufacturers of art materials. They
have their own consulting toxicology team, lead by the primary toxicologist,
Woodhall Stopford, M.D., M.S.P.H., of Duke University Medical Center, Division
of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, who review the formulas of products
in the certification program. Their
accuracy and completeness of labeling has come into question.
In 1987 the California Department of Health Service called into question
may of the products certified by the ACMI.
In the opinion of many, including the Illinois Toxic Art in Schools Act,
their labeling is insufficient to protect children, adults, and the environment.
The non-toxic designation should not be taken as an indication that the
material is completely benign.
Illinois Compiled Statues
Toxic Art Supplies in Schools Act
105 ILCS 135/2
Sec. 2 The General
Assembly finds that:
a) Art supplies which
contain toxic substances or which are potential human carcinogens pose a
significant danger to the health and safety of school children.
b) School children are
not sufficiently protected by present health laws in so far as materials which
may be seriously harmful are not so labeled and therefore children are not
properly warned as to the dangers inherent in the use of those materials.
c) Elementary school
children should be protected by prohibiting the sale of art supplies containing
toxic substances to schools and school districts for use in kindergarten and
grades one through 6, and art supplies containing toxic substances should be
purchased by schools and school districts for students in grades 7 through 12
only if the materials are properly labeled, as described in this Act.
ACMI recommendation on the consumer acquiring the MSDS
(Manufacturer Safety Data Sheet) for art materials: “MSDS’s can often be
misleading. MSDS’s are also quite
complex and highly technical and may be difficult for someone who does not have
a scientific background to understand. Therefore,
a great deal of the information that appears on an MSDS may not be useful or
appropriate to a consumer.”
My recommendation on the consumer acquiring the MSDS – The MSDS is understandable but may require some research on the part of the consumer as to the toxicity of the chemical in question. BAS definitely recommends acquiring the MSDS on any art material used and making your own decision about the level of personal risk you are willing to take. Unfortunately, some manufacturers put their own generic name on the chemical, which does make it somewhat difficult, but not impossible, to find information on the chemical in question. I have acquired the MSDS and fully researched all products listed.