Health & Safety in the Arts
A Searchable Database of
Health & Safety Information for Artists


Child Art
ID Child Art Tech Ingestion Haz Inhalation Haz Skin Contact Haz Other Hazards Precautions
1 Paints Pigments possibly haz.; may cause stomach upset; turpentine, mineral spirits highly toxic Acrylic paints may contain ammonia, formaldehyde (irritant); turpentine, mineral spirits highly toxic Turpentine moderately irritating; mineral spirits irritating
Children under age 12 shouldn't be allowed to use oil, alkyd, phosphorescent, or adult paints; shouldn't mix their own powdered paints; shouldn't use acrylic paints, if allergic to formaldehyde or react to ammonia; shouldn't use solvents
2 Drawing Materials Xylene, alcohol haz.; pigments in colored pencils toxic Chalk, dusts irritating; pastels may be toxic; xylene, alcohol haz.; solvent-based drawing gums toxic Xylene, alcohol haz.; carbon black may cause skin cancer; lead in paint on pencils Scented markers teach kids to smell/taste art materials Kids should use nondusty chalks, pencils, crayons, oil pastels instead; preschool kids shouldn't use water-soluble drawing inks, felt-tip markers; don't use scented markers; elementary kids should use water-based markers only; use water-based gums
3 Dyes Copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, dichromates, oxalic acid highly toxic Wax for batik can produce irritating fumes if overheated Dyes irritating; potassium dichromate, oxalic acid highly toxic Long-term haz. haven't been adequately studied; vegetable dyes not haz.; fire hazard Don't allow kids to use household, direct, cold-water fiber-reactive, or other craft dyes; don't let them use mordants w/natural dyes; use food/vegetable dyes w/no significant hazards (coffee, tea, onion skins, spinach, beets); shouldn't use wax
4 Sculpture & Modeling Materials
Dry clay highly toxic; preservatives, plasticizers haz.; dusts irritating; Styrofoam gases highly toxic; papier-mache toxic Casting of body parts w/plaster of Paris can cause burns Carving w/sharp tools haz; asbestos in papier-mache; ammonia, formaldehyde, preservatives irritating Don't expose kids to dusts; don't let them work w/dry clay; don't allow them to sand clay sculptures after firing; use only kids' modeling clay; use homemade materials; don't use sharp tools; don't do body casts; don't heat in oven used for food
5 Pottery Glazes haz. Dry clay dust highly toxic; glazes haz.; kiln gases and metal fumes highly toxic Cold, wet clay causes drying of hands; glazes haz. Potters' wheels haz.; thermal burns from hot pottery/kiln Allow kids to handle wet clay only; wet mop all spills; don't allow kids to use glazes, and only those approved for kids; allow the child to paint w/acrylic/tempera paint; don't use potter's wheels; use ventilation; don't make objects for food/drink
6 Screen Printing Turpentine, mineral spirits, kerosene, lacquer thinner, solvents highly toxic; silk screen inks highly toxic Turpentine, mineral spirits, kerosene, lacquer thinner, solvents highly toxic Solvents irritating Silk screen inks include lead, cadmium, chromium, synthetic pigments Don't allow preschool kids to do screen printing; elementary kids should only use inks that contain water and nontoxic pigments; use water-soluble glues, liquid wax resists, rubber latex resists, paper cutouts for stencil-making
7 Other Printmaking Techniques Lead, chromium, cadmium in inks highly toxic; organic solvents haz.; nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric acid highly corrosive Turpentine, mineral spirits, kerosene haz.; nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric acid highly toxic Turpentine, mineral spirits, kerosene haz.; nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric acid highly corrosive Sharp tools can cause accidents; glues, aerosol sprays haz. Don't allow kids to do lithography, etching, woodcuts, wood/metal engraving, drypoint; preschoolers shouldn't do linocuts; heat linoleum first for linocuts; use water-based inks approved for kids; do collagraphs w/water-soluble glues
8 Photography Developers highly toxic Chemicals haz. Chemicals haz.
Don't allow kids into darkrooms, or have access to photochemicals; use Polaroid cameras; have supervision w/Polaroid, since chemicals inside the print are haz.; use blueprint paper & sunlight as alternative (sungrams)
9 Glues & Adhesives Glues, adhesives based on solvents evaporation highly toxic; epoxy solvents moderately toxic to highly toxic; sodium fluoride extremely toxic; phenol, formaldehyde haz. Glues, adhesives based on solvent evaporation highly toxic; epoxy solvents moderately toxic to highly toxic; sodium fluoride extremely toxic Glues, adhesives based on solvents irritating; epoxy severely irritating; cyanoacrylate highly toxic; calcium hydroxide highly corrosive Glues, adhesives based on solvents flammable; wheat pastes may have arsenic, pentachlorophenol Don't allow kids to use solvent-based glues/adhesives, those w/chemical reactions, dry casein glues; use library paste, mucilages, polyvinyl acetates, or homemade glues w/flour, water; buy only wheat pastes approved for kids; don't use wallpaper paste
10 Aerosol Sprays
Solvents in spray highly toxic; pigments, adhesives, other materials highly toxic Spraying too close to skin can cause freezing, blisters, inflammation Cans can explode if heated/punctured; eye damage; flammable Don't allow kids to use aerosol sprays; older students and teachers should only spray outside, or in fume hood; use clear acrylic polymer emulsion instead of spray fixatives to fix drawings




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Disclaimer
This information set forth herein is furnished free of charge and is based on public domain information that is believed to be reliable. The City of Tucson makes no warranty as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. The information is to be used at an individual's own risk.
This web site is sponsored by the City of Tucson's Environmental Management Division through an Environmental Justice Grant.

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