DCHAS-L Archives, Feb 20 2020 - Re: [DCHAS-L] heavy metals in art studio paints

Hi James,

I’m not an artist either, but I can tell you my experience in the commercial vehicle industry where I spent quite a few years involved in color development. My past employer banned the use of Cad, Lead, and other hazardous pigments. The result was that we were unable to offer the same color palette. There are color shades you simply cannot achieve, and those were obsoleted.

The commercial vehicle industry is different from automotive in that the customer base expects their vehicles to be color matched to their company logo. Owner operators (smaller segment) expect custom colors which are often more exotic. The customer base adjusted as the preferences changed with the times. So, the palette issue worked itself out to a certain extent.

So, if you want to make a change like that one, it may require a top-down approach from a higher authority on the grounds of environmental friendliness and institutional risk avoidance.

Thank you,

Yaritza Brinker

260.827.5402

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> On Behalf Of James Saccardo
Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2020 2:58 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] heavy metals in art studio paints

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Greetings to all,

I am interested in hearing any opinions or any measures taken by art studios to refrain or prevent the use of heavy metal (i.e. RCRA 7 metals) pigments in art studios.

In an undergraduate painting studio, they have been using reds and yellows that contain cadmium and/or cadmium seleniosulfide. Cadmium and selenium are both RCRA metals. Some years ago, I recognized that the spent tubes contained a significant amount of residual paint and testing revealed that when discarded, these quasi empty tubes did not pass TCLP and were thirty times over the regulatory limit.

These paints (linseed oil based) are purchased by students taking the course at the direction of the Faculty member. There is no mention of the toxicity level or that there are cadmium free alternatives that were not available several years ago. Students purchase, use, and abandon or discard the paint in the art lab. Heavy metal hazards are not discussed and paintings produced with these paints may be taken home, etc. The thinners that are used do not flash, but I am guessing with all of the reds and yellows, it may also carry D codes.

I have looked into the alternatives and they do not contain any RCRA metals, although they do tradeoff for other metals such as zinc and beryllium.

I have approached the department and asked them to prohibit paints containing heavy metals and only use alternative paints only to receive the response that the alternatives (that the industry has worked so hard to produce at the same cost) do not have the “tinting power” as the cadmium containing pigments. Yes, so I am sitting here wondering how can I convince them not to use heavy metal pigments in a 100 level undergraduate course (at the risk of having less tinting power) and that the health of the college community as a whole is more important than tinting strength.

Therefore, I’d be interested in hearing any success stories for an artist program that prohibits paint pigments with heavy metals or compelling justification for requiring the department to switch to alternatives.

Thanks,

James (not an artist)

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