GUIDELINES FOR THE SAFE USE OF ART AND CRAFT MATERIALS Art…

         GUIDELINES FOR THE SAFE USE OF ART AND CRAFT MATERIALS

Art and craft supplies that contain toxic substances, including potential human carcinogens,
pose a significant danger to the health and safety of schoolchildren. Art instruction is part of the
standard school curriculum, and as a result, many children may be exposed to toxic chemicals
in the materials used. In recent years, a number of art and craft supplies containing toxic
materials have been used in California schools. Asbestos, heavy metals, organic solvents, and
other toxic ingredients found in some art and craft materials present risks to the health and
safety of individuals using them. These hazards may be greater for a child who is unaware of
the dangers and may misuse the products. The following information is presented to assist
school personnel in selecting and using safe art and craft products in the classroom.

Special Concerns Regarding Children in Kindergarten and Grades 1-6 (K-6)

There are unique factors associated with the use of art and craft materials by children that may
increase health risks and should be considered in evaluating the suitability of products for use in
schools. For example, young children cannot be expected to follow instructions for the proper
use of art and craft materials; it is only reasonable to expect that the use of these materials by
children will result in contact with the skin, eyes, mouth, hair, and clothing. Such contact
provides ample opportunity for inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption of potentially toxic
compounds. The possibility of children being adversely affected by exposure is compounded by
the fact that children are generally less able to tolerate exposure to hazardous substances than
are adults because of the children's smaller size, higher metabolic rates, and immature organ
immune systems.

General Precautions for All Students

1.     How Exposure Occurs
       Exposure to hazardous substances in art supplies occurs by three routes: inhalation,
       ingestion, and skin contact. Dusts, powders, vapors, gases, and aerosols may be readily
       inhaled and, therefore, they present a health hazard. Direct damage to the lungs may
       result from silica or asbestos present in dry earth clays. Organ damage may occur
       following inhalation of solvent vapors and subsequent absorption into the bloodstream.

       Ingestion of hazardous substances can occur by eating and drinking food that has been
       contaminated or more directly through oral contact with hands or tools used in art
       projects. This route of exposure is an important concern since children tend to
       experiment and put things in their mouths.

       Lastly, skin contact with hazardous materials may result in local or internal effects.
       Caustic substances or solvents may cause local skin damage. Certain solvents can also
       pass through the skin into the bloodstream, resulting in damage to other organs.
2.     Possible Illness from Exposure to Hazardous Materials

       Exposure to toxic materials may result in either acute or chronic illness. An acute illness
       may result from a relatively large exposure over a short period of time. An example
       would be the intoxication-like symptoms following deliberate or inadvertent ingestion of
       toxic solvents. A chronic illness may result from relatively small exposure over a long
       period of time as, for example, degeneration of the nervous system from exposure to
       lead-containing products. While the symptoms of an acute illness are immediately
       apparent, this is not necessarily the case for a chronic illness. Chronic illness may arise
       at a later time due to the concentration of substances in the body (for example asbestos
       or lead), accumulated damage to the body, or the sensitization to a substance after
       repeated exposure.

3.     Limiting Exposure

       Considerable protection from exposure to toxic materials can be achieved by promoting
       good hygiene in the classroom. Safe storage and proper labeling of art and craft
       supplies, keeping dust to a minimum by damp mopping rather than sweeping, and
       thorough cleanup after use of art and craft materials will help prevent exposures.
       Personal hygiene also plays a role in the prevention of potentially harmful exposures.
       Students should refrain from eating or drinking while engaged in art projects, and they
       should wash their hands thoroughly when finished. Another general safety practice is to
       ensure proper ventilation in the art classroom so that contaminants may be diluted and
       eventually removed from the air. Exposure to hazardous dusts and fumes will be
       minimized if the instructor premixes dry materials with water (for example, temperas,
       wheat paste, and so forth) and fires ceramic products when students are away from the
       kiln area. If an art material has been transferred to an unlabeled container and its identity
       is unknown, it should be disposed of. For specific information on the proper disposal of
       art and craft materials, please contact your local county health department.

Purchasing Safe Products for Grades K-6

In purchasing products for a particular application, alternative or substitute products should
always be considered and preference given to the least-toxic product. The following list
describes general types of art materials that are likely to be hazardous and suggests substitute
products. Although the law does not prohibit the use of all of these materials, it is suggested
that they be used with discretion and that substitutes be used whenever possible.
Art and Craft Materials to Avoid and Recommended Substitutes

       1.     AVOID:        Products that may generate an inhalation hazard. Examples
                            include clay in dry form, powdered paints, glazes, pigments, wheat
                            paste, and aerosols (for example, spray paints, fixatives).

              SUBSTITUTE:          Wet or liquid non-aerosol products. (If dry products are
                                   used, they should be mixed while young children are not
                                   present.)

       2.     AVOID:        Hazardous solvent-based products. Examples include rubber
                            cement and its thinner, turpentine and other paint thinners, and
                            solvent-based markers.

              SUBSTITUTE:          Water-based glues, paints, and markers.

       3.     AVOID:        Materials that contain lead or other heavy metals.      Examples
                            include some paints, glazes, and enamels.

              SUBSTITUTE:          Products that do not contain heavy metals.

       4.     AVOID:        Cold water dyes or commercial dyes.

              SUBSTITUTE:          Vegetable dyes (onion skins and so forth).

       5.     AVOID:        Instant papier-mâché, which may contain asbestos fibers or lead
                            or other metals from pigments in colored printing inks.

              SUBSTITUTE:          Papier-mâché made from black and white newspaper and
                                   library or white paste (or flour and water paste).

Some art and craft projects involve processes that are inappropriate for young children. Some
examples are airbrushing, enameling, photo developing, and soldering. Instructors are
encouraged to avoid projects that would involve these processes.
Purchasing Art and Craft Materials for Grades 7-12

Education Code Article 6, Section 32064 mandates hazard labeling of art and craft materials
purchased for grades 7-12. According to this law, art and craft supplies purchased for use in
grades 7-12 must bear a label disclosing the presence of hazardous ingredients, the potential
health effects, and instructions for the safe use of the product. The rationale for labeling
assumes that students in grades 7-12 are capable of reading and understanding hazard labels
on art products, and once aware of the hazard, they can take the necessary precautions to
minimize exposure. Although products bearing "toxic" warning labels (for example, "harmful if
swallowed," "use with adequate ventilation," "avoid skin contact') may be purchased for use by
older children, it is recommended that exposure to toxic materials be limited as much as
possible. When they are used, care should be taken to ensure that the products are used in
accordance with the label direction and that all cautions are observed. While not mandated by
law, purchasing products that do not contain toxic ingredients or products on the list of "Art and
Craft Materials Which Cannot Be Purchased for Use in Kindergarten and Grades One - Six" and
"Products Acceptable for use in Grades 7-12" will provide an additional measure of safety in the
classroom.

In some instances art and craft materials will not bear hazardous ingredient labels. If a product
is not properly labeled, contact the California Department of Health Services, Food and Drug
Branch for information as to whether the materials are in compliance with the labeling
requirements.

Resources for Obtaining Information on the Toxicity of Products


There are a number of information sources on art and craft hazards and on products and
ingredient toxicity. Follow these steps to obtain information on the toxicity of products as well as
to increase general knowledge regarding the safe use of art and craft material:

1.     Check the list, "Art and Craft Materials Which Cannot Be Purchased for Use in
       Kindergarten and Grades One Through Six." If the product is included on the list, it
       presents a chemical health hazard to those using it.

2.     For information on the toxicity of chemicals, contact:

                          Laurie Monserrat or Karen Randles
                          Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
                          California Environmental Protection Agency
                          Integrated Risk Assessment Section
                          1001 I Street, 12th floor
                          Mail Stop 12b
                          P.O. Box 4010
                          Sacramento, CA 95812-4010
                          Telephone: (916) 324-2829
3.   Contact the State Department of Education for information regarding updates of the Art
     Hazards list. The legislation requires periodic updates, and the Department of Education
     will furnish information about the current status of the updates. The Department of
     Education cannot deal with issues of toxicity, inclusion or exclusion of products from the
     list, or interpretation of the field safety guidelines. The basic responsibility of the
     Department of Education is to print and disseminate the list developed by the OEHHA.

                               Nancy Carr (ncarr@cde.ca.gov)
                                  Department of Education
                              Visual and Performing Arts Office
                                 1430 N Street, Suite 4309
                                  Sacramento, CA 95814
                                 Telephone: (916) 445-5669

4.   Contact the American Lung Association of California for further information about art
     hazards. This organization maintains a library of reference books, brochures, and slide or
     tape programs and also sponsors seminars and workshops for teachers and others
     interested in art hazards. By contacting the central number in Oakland, individuals can
     be referred to local American Lung Association offices in their area.

                            American Lung Association of California
                            424 Pendleton Way
                            Oakland, CA 94621
                            (510) 638-5864 (LUNG)

5.   Contact the Art and Craft Materials Institute for information on the toxicity of art materials
     and their certification program of art materials.

                            Art and Creative Materials Institute
                            100 Boylston Street, Suite 1050
                            Boston, MA 02116
                            Telephone: (617) 426-6400

6.   Check the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to see if the product you are
     considering has been recalled. http://www.cpsc.gov/

7.   Refer to the following publications for general information regarding the safe use of art
     and craft materials.
                                      PUBLICATIONS


Making Art Safely: Alternative Methods and Materials in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking,
      Graphic Design, and Photography (1995). Merle Spandorfer, Jack Snyder and Deborah
      Curtiss.

Poison Palette: Lack of Compliance of Toxic Art Supplies with Federal Law.
       Request copies from the California Public Interest Research Group, 46 Shattuck Square,
       Suite 11, Berkeley, CA 94704; telephone (510) 644-3454 or U.S. Public Interest
       Research Group, (202) 546-9707, 215 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20003.
       This pamphlet provides an overview of the Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials Act and
       includes a list of products from 11 manufacturers that were found to be out of
       compliance.

Qualley, Charles. Safety in the Art Room. Worcester, Mass.: Davis Publications, Inc., 1986.
       A guide to setting up a safe art classroom for various types of projects. This book
       includes suggestions for a safe classroom and provides information to give students
       before they embark on an art project.