Health hazards
Is it true that oil paints are more toxic than acrylics?
Researchers have learned a lot about toxicity in the last few decades and they have also discovered that artists have a long history of poisoning themselves with their materials. It is now believed that some of the well documented accounts of artist’s sicknesses were actually cases of poisoning. Goya’s ills in his middle years and Van Gogh’s famous mental and physical health problems are being attributed to the ingestion of paints. In fact, the glow that Van Gogh painted around lights and stars in his later works are thought to be the result of lead poisoning which causes swelling in the optic nerve – he actually saw that glow around objects!
An excellent book was written a number of years ago by Michael Mcann called “Artist Beware.” It may be out of print but it is still readily available. It covers potential health hazards in all of the arts and crafts. For now, let’s just look at some basic principles that will help you avoid poisoning yourself while you paint.
The most toxic component of any paint is the pigments used to give them color. Since the same pigments are used to make all paints for artists: oils, acrylics, water colors, pastels, and so on, they should all be considered equally hazardous. The binders used to hold the paint together, that is, linseed oil for oils paints, glycerin and gum Arabic for watercolors, and synthetic acrylic polymer resins for acrylic paints, are relatively non-toxic. Acrylic resins are certainly not as edible as linseed oil and glycerin however. Paints also contain a number of other dubious elements that act as dryers, emulsifiers, stabilizing agents, anti-foaming agents, preservatives, and so on. Many of these are not considered safe for ingestion. Some pigments are more toxic than others, cadmium colors are highly toxic and a known carcinogen. Cobalt often contains arsenic, and manganese is present in various colors as well. We all have heard of the hazardous effects of lead in paint due to its use in commercial wall paint. It is no longer used to make house paint but many artists have stopped using the very excellent, and I would even say indispensable, lead white in oil paints (also called “Cremintz” or “Flake” white among others). Don’t stop painting or using certain colors because they are considered toxic. The best policy is to treat all paints as hazardous and handle them accordingly. It is important too to remember that most toxic elements accumulate in the body so even a little bit of exposure once in a while is not a good idea. Here are some simple rules to follow when painting:
Don’t eat the paint. Don’t get paint or powdered pigment on an open cut. Don’t clean paint off your hands with solvents. Don’t breath powdered pigments.
The level of toxicity of a pigment is also relative to the way in which you are exposed. A pigment can be mildly toxic when exposed to the skin, moderately toxic when ingested, and highly toxic when inhaled. Breathing in pigments in their powdered form is by far the most hazardous thing a painter can do because anything breathed into the lungs is fed directly into the blood stream. For this reason using pure dry pigments to mix into paintings or collages, making your own paints, using sprayers, and even dry pastels can be extremely dangerous. A proper respirator can be used for these purposes. You must not breath the powder, get it on your hands and clothes where it may be eventually transferred to food or utensils, or stir it up on surfaces where it can be inhaled. Pigments in paints will not be absorbed through the skin but can enter the body through open cuts or, more commonly, be carried into the blood with the aid of a solvent like turpentine or mineral spirits. The unpleasant smell of oil paints and turpentine does not make oil paints more toxic than any other type but if you are using oil paints (even household oil/alkyd paints) never clean your hands with solvents. Turpentine was even used at one time to administer drugs intravenously. Commercial hand cleaners used by mechanics also contain mineral spirits. If you have paint or oil on your hands I suggest using any kind of cooking oil to clean your hands, followed by soap. Solvents themselves are also quite toxic if they enter the body and most are relatively toxic when inhaled. If you spray on your varnish, do it in a well ventilated area and use a respirator. You can eat your paints and get quite sick too. Biting your finger nails, chewing on the paint brush and eating while painting are the most common ways that we ingest poison chemicals.
