Title: Painting and Drawing | Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Headings: Painting and Drawing
Painting and Drawing
Introduction
Chemical Safety Basics
Pigments
Pigments vs. Hues
Hazards
Precautions
Water-Based Paints
Hazards
Precautions
Non Water-Based Paints
Hazards
Precautions
Airbrush, Spray Cans, and Spray Guns
Hazards
Precautions
Dry Drawing Media
Hazards
Precautions
Liquid Drawing Media
Hazards
Precautions
Staff

Content: Hazards
Poisoning can occur if toxic pigments are inhaled or ingested. The main hazard in standard painting techniques is accidental ingestion of pigments due to eating, drinking or smoking while working, inadvertent hand to mouth contact, or pointing the paint brush with the lips. If methods such as spraying, heating, or sanding are employed then there is an opportunity for inhalation of toxic pigments. The classic example of a toxic inorganic pigment in painting is white lead, or flake white (basic lead carbonate). Lead pigments can cause anemia, gastrointestinal problems, peripheral nerve damage (and brain damage in children), kidney damage and reproductive system damage. Other inorganic pigments may be hazardous, including pigments based on cobalt, cadmium, and manganese. ( See Table 1)
Some of the inorganic pigments, in particular cadmium pigments, chrome yellow and zinc yellow may cause lung cancer. In addition lamp black and carbon black may contain impurities that can cause skin cancer. Chromate pigments (chrome yellow and zinc yellow) may cause skin ulceration and allergic skin reactions (such as rashes). The long-term hazards of the modern synthetic organic pigments have not been well studied.