Home Forums Explore Media Pastels Soft Pastel Talk Is Golden Acrylics Pastel Ground safe?

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  • #988133
    gakinme
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        Hi, I’m new to soft pastels and have ordered online a jar of Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels and when it arrived, only then did I see the label as follows:

        “This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. To ensure safety: avoid ingestion, excessive skin contact and inhalation of spraying mists, sanding dusts, and concentrated vapors.”

        How dangerous is this product? Should I throw it away?

        I applied some with a brush on watercolor paper and now I don’t even dare touch it.

        Any advice would be appreciated.

        #1123768
        rankamateur1
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            My guess is that pretty much any art product has some safety issue, so I think common sense measures to avoid exposure without going overboard are in order.

            1. Don’t eat and paint at the same time. I tend to drink coffee while painting which is probably not a smart thing to do.

            2. If you get the stuff on you, wash it off reasonably soon. If you’re really worried, wear latex gloves.

            3. Work in a well-ventillated room.

            If you use this stuff for body paint (your body, I mean), smear it on your sandwich instead of mayonaise, and sniff it like glue, you’ll probably get sick. But use common sense and you’ll be fine. Once that stuff is dry, I believe it’s pretty inert so I wouldn’t worry about touching your watercolor paper.

            If you’re really concerned, Dick Blick has the MSDS sheets linked to each product on their web page. I forget what MSDS stands for, but they are toxicity reports and give info on handling the material.

            Don’t throw it away, you’ll be fine.

            Luana

            Luana
            Nikon D50, Nikkor 50mm 1.4, 18-200mm VR 3.5-5.6, 80-400 VR 4.5-5.6

            #1123769
            rankamateur1
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                Here’s a link to the Material Safety Data Sheet, thanks to Dick Blick.

                http://www.dickblick.com/customerservice/healthsafety/#prop65

                Luana
                Nikon D50, Nikkor 50mm 1.4, 18-200mm VR 3.5-5.6, 80-400 VR 4.5-5.6

                #1123759
                Don Ketchek
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                    According to Golden’s website, their Acrylic Ground for pastels contains the following hazardous components:

                    Ammonia
                    Chrystalline Silica – which seems to be the main culprit
                    Propylene Glycol

                    The MSDS says:

                    CRYSTALLINE SILICA- Considered a carcinogen through inhalation overexposure. Also a known
                    cause of silicosis, a noncancerous lung disease. WARNING: This product contains a chemical known
                    to the State of California to cause cancer.

                    I would keep in mind that a fairly high percentage of artists material and pigments have California “Prop 65” or “CL” warning labels including most pigments that have heavy metals including anything with Cobalt, Chromium, Zinc, Cadmium, and more.

                    The usual general consensus recommendations for safety are don’t eat or drink while painting and make sure paint supplies are not around food or the kitchen. Also wear a dust mask to avaid inhilation issues. I know lots of people sand their grounds, so I would make sure that you are wearing a dust mask if you do. Personally, I wear a mask whenever painting with pastels, not just for sanding.

                    If you are not sanding the ground, then it seems like there shouldn’t be much of a safety issue, as the warning label specifies “inhalation overexposure” as the danger.

                    Hope this helps.

                    Don

                    #1123761
                    gakinme
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                        Thank you, Luana, Don, for the directions. I guess I better wear gloves when I use this then and not even wash the brush but use cardboard pieces to apply the ground.

                        #1123760
                        Don Ketchek
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                            Here’s a link to the Golden MSDS. Unfortunately, it applies to lots of their products and you have to search around and look at code numbers. I hope I interpreted it correctly. Again, since the danger is inhalation overexposure for this product, I think using a brush would be OK.

                            Don

                            http://www.goldenpaints.com/healthsafety/msds/master.pdf

                            #1123766
                            Colorix
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                                I think the danger is if the silica gets airborne, as dust. As it is bound in water and acrylics, there shouldn’t be any danger from normal artistic use, with normal careful avoding of inhaling and eating or dipping your arms to the elbow in it. I think the word “prolonged” is important. If you worked in the factory producing the stuff, more serious caution would be wise, as they probably have sacks of the stuff, pouring it into great vats or some such, and a lot of silica dust would get airborn. Silica is pulverized stone, right? Miners can get damaged lungs from inhaling the dust.

                                But of course, if it really worries you, try something else that doesn’t have this ingredient.

                                Charlie

                                Charlie

                                Charlie's Site/Blog

                                #1123762
                                gakinme
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                                    Thank you, Charlie, for the extra input. Yeah, I’ll try not to eat it. I’ll start on a piece today then.

                                    #1123764
                                    ourcassidy!
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                                        Don’t know if you live in California or not, but nearly everything in the state has that label…From open multi-story car parks to bars…and everything in between…Pam

                                        #1123763
                                        gakinme
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                                            Yes, I live in California. I guess the state is ultra cautious to warn us of what risks we are taking living in that state. Thank you, Pam.

                                            I used the page I put the ground on and it does grab more pastels down. Now I just need to do a few more pages up.

                                            #1123767
                                            Colorix
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                                                Sandra, an outside view on the Californian labelling of things: In Sweden, we’re rather keen on safety too, but we tend to think that the Californian system is mainly to protect the manufacturers from being sued for lots of money. Over here, you can’t sue (in the same way), so American products here get totally different packages, with virtually no safety labels. Over here it is taken for granted that adults have the wits to don’t drink gesso or eat crayons, and if one is stupid enough to do it, it is certainly not the manufacturer’s fault. Lead white, or mineral spirits, that kind of things, do have safety labels (a neat little Jolly Roger). And much artist’s stuff have a line “keep out of reach of children”, but that is for the safety of the little ones, not the manufacturer.

                                                Just another perspective on things, from another country. I find it rather fascinating. (OK, so I’m odd and nutty. :-)

                                                Charlie

                                                Charlie

                                                Charlie's Site/Blog

                                                #1123771
                                                Mary_Anne
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                                                    Another outside view, not only from Canada, but also from someone who used to be responsible for developing environmental regulations in another life. :heart:

                                                    I would tend to agree with Charlie, both on the side of the protection of the industry in the US, and on the side of the clue “prolonged” exposure. These warnings very often relate to effects seen in exposures of workers during the manufacturing process, as Charlie has pointed out. Quite often the data used to justify danger of these compounds relate to times when health and safety in factories was not what it is today. And quite often the health and safety regulations that workers enjoy in North America and the EU are not practiced in the Third World, so workers there may be exposed more to dangerous conditions or environments.

                                                    Material Safety Data Sheets are actually developed in relation to possible industrial exposure of workers, more than to consumer exposure. They tell the workers what protective equipment or behaviour they need to adopt and what special cleanup measures they may need to take if there were a spill of concentrated product.

                                                    There are lots of things, many of them naturally-occurring substances (like silica!) that can be problematic for any number of reasons. The fact is, common sense ought to be your guide. I am particularly vigilant if it says “toxic” – that means what it says – you can get very sick or die if you ingest whatever it is! (and what responsible adult would drink windshield-washer fluid – propylene glycol – for fun and enjoyment?!). The “cancer-causing” thing sounds scary, but in fact, there have been very few direct cause-and-effect relationships proven between a cancer and a particular chemical or substance. “Proven” being the operative word.

                                                    And, finally, when you have a society in which anyone can sue a private company (and win) because that company ALLOWED the person to buy a hot coffee (which is supposed to be HOT by the way) and then “let” (??) them spill it on themselves and burn themselves… well, gee. :rolleyes:

                                                    As has been said earlier – for “responsible adults”, who exercise “common sense” (which seems not to be so common anymore) there should be no problem. Don’t drink/eat it, try not to breathe the dust if you sand it, don’t take a bath in it, etc…

                                                    Bottom line – you are more likely to get hurt falling downstairs. :eek:

                                                    #1123770
                                                    Devonlass
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                                                        Hooray for common sense views!! I came from the UK originally where you are advised not to drink bleach, etc but it is generally assumed that most people will use reasonable precautions to protect their health and well-being in their daily lives. Who on earth would eat a pool flotation toy for instance!! (This is one example of something that astounded me when I first came to this country 25 years ago). I should add that I have no idea whether this warning is still used.

                                                        Carol
                                                        C&C always welcome
                                                        My Blog

                                                        #1123765
                                                        ourcassidy!
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                                                            Charlie…ah at least for the present some of our United State still have the presence of mind to treat us as responsible people…thankgoodness!!

                                                            Mary Anne, So well said! If this country were to restructure the rewards/cost for court judgments and suites then maybe people would remember once again that responsibility rest with themselves. This is a real pet pieve of mine so I will get off the soap box…but long and short I don’t need a government on a power trip taking away my rights and responsibilities!

                                                            anyway…the hot coffee issue…well duh…like you said hot coffee is supposed to be HOT!

                                                            Just makes me crazy! Pam

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