Many art supplies contain lead, arsenic, asbestos and other potentially dangerous compounds. The Environment Report's Tanya Ott profiles a Michigan artist who spends 8-12 hours a day working with spray paint.
Most of the time Larry Stephens paints outside. But in winter, he can’t. So he paints indoors, wearing a respirator or a dust mask. It’s not enough.
“You know within a couple of hours I’ll start getting dizzy. You’ll end up coughing up paint the next morning. You’ll go to blow your nose and it’ll be green and red and yellow and whatever colors you’re using that day.”
Experts say there are no large scale health studies of people who use art supplies.
But Dr. Steven Marcus – who is New Jersey’s poison control chief – says lead, arsenic and cadmium are found in some paint pigments. Stone carving can release asbestos into the air and cause lung disease. And some glues and cements contain chemicals that can cause neurological damage – including a condition called “wrist drop,” where sufferers actually lose strength in their hands.
“And for an artist, that’s their bread and butter. They lose strength in their hands and they can’t be an artist.”
The U.S. Senate is working on legislation to update the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act. That might help professional artists and hobbyists get a better picture of the true dangers they could face.
The state of California offers detailed guidelines on how to use art supplies safely, and which materials to avoid when doing art projects with kids. Princeton University also has a helpful art safety guide.
