Dangers of selenium toner

[cvik]

I know one must be careful when handling most toners and bleach baths. This includes selenium toner.

How dangerous is it?

I did a google and found answers from 'tastes good with red meat' to 'must handle using NASA ceritified space suit'.

So how dangerous is it? Is it dangerous to inhale the gas? And what is meant by dangerous? - sudden death or headache, dizziness?
I currently use the liquid Kodak Selenium toner.

(confused)

[Les McLean]

Originally Posted by cvik

I know one must be careful when handling most toners and bleach baths. This includes selenium toner.

How dangerous is it?

I did a google and found answers from 'tastes good with red meat' to 'must handle using NASA ceritified space suit'.

So how dangerous is it? Is it dangerous to inhale the gas? And what is meant by dangerous? - sudden death or headache, dizziness?
I currently use the liquid Kodak Selenium toner.

(confused)

Wear gloves and make sure the room is well ventilated when using it and you'll be perfectly safe. If you use it very hot be prepared to experience some very strong pungent smells but you will produce some really different results.

[Daniel Lawton]

I'm certainly no chemical engineer but I believe the hazards of selenium toning are through skin absorbtion more than inhalation. The pungent smell is actually the fixer contained in the selenium toner and is no more dangerous than plain hypo in terms of fumes. If I am wrong hopefully someone with more knowledge will correct me. The best precautions are gloves or tongs and if you spill any onto yourself wash it off as soon as possible. The nice thing about toning is that it can be done in daylight so if the smell bothers you then try doing it outside or in a garage.

[lee]

I am of the opinion that there is more selenium in the selenium based shampoo than in the toner. However, having said that, I must disclose I am not a chemist nor have I played on TV.

lee\c

[clay]

A lot of people take selenium supplements with their vitamins! Admittedly very small amounts, but your body does need some amount of the stuff.

I think the danger gets hyped up by some because it is a heavy metal like mercury that accumulates in fatty tissues and the liver, and is not readily expelled by the body if excessive quantities are consumed. Frankly, that is the last thing I would worry about in the darkroom. Wear gloves and use adequate ventilation and you should be fine.

[MattCarey]

If you end up with garlic breath that never goes away, you have ingested too much selenium.

The old mineralogy texts/references have a "taste" test. Selenium was rated as a "garlic" taste.

I know a guy who used to work with Seleniun compounds. He told me the above. He also told me he was never around when they would first open the quartz tubes containing his crystals.

Matt

http://www.sciencestuff.com/msds/C2450.html

[clay]

Those old mineralogy tests were a little scary. Do you remember the warnings about never using the taste test on some of the evaporite minerals found in desert playas and so forth? A few of them contain some nice stuff like arsenic and cyanide!

[GregT.]

Originally Posted by cvik

So how dangerous is it? Is it dangerous to inhale the gas? And what is meant by dangerous? - sudden death or headache, dizziness?
I currently use the liquid Kodak Selenium toner.(confused)

Material Safety Data Sheet for Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner is down the page HERE. Pay particular attention to sections 4, 7, 8 and 11.

Note there are several listed. They are different issue dates. Check the upper left when you open them.

[Aggie]

hmmmm stop dyeing my hair, and go back to snow white hair? NEVER, I have repeatedly and for prolonged times exposed my scalp to Selenium.

Use common sense. Wear gloves and have proper ventilation.

Concentrated goes without saying to handle cautiously. Beyond that the worst you will have to contend with is: if you are sensitive to the substance, some dizziness from prolongeddddddddddd breathing. I doubt we are going to drink the stuff. Our hands are an other matter. We need to wear gloves wo we can keep our orginal skin color. I know when the hair dye gets past the hairline onto my forehead, I wear some of the smarks of the selenium. Reminds me I need to get my hair retoned soon.

[Curt]

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