Comprehensive List Of Toxic/non-Toxic Glaze Ingredients?

[Stone Spiral]

Hey there!

I took a glaze-making course about 10 years ago, but have lost much of that knowledge with under use. I am getting back into making my own glazes from scratch, as I inherited a retiring potter's stash of glaze-ingredients.

I have been building a list for myself of glaze ingredients that are toxic and non-toxic when handled, and foodsafe/non-foodsafe when fired. (I do understand that some are toxic in their raw state and fine once fired)

 

I feel like I am re-inventing the wheel here and that there might be something like this out there?

If you have any links, or could paste in your own notes, I'm interested in creating this comprehensive list to keep on my glaze station wall or in a notebook nearby (or heck, even to write it right on the tubs/buckets, directly!)

Currently I treat ALL glaze materials as toxic (gloves, mask) when mixing, however it would be nice to have an eye on what I truly need to be careful of, versus what I can relax around. I also would love to label my personal glazes as toxic or non-toxic in raw form and foodsafe or non-foodsafe in fired form - based on their ingredients, so having this list would be helpful, as well.

Thanks for any contributions on this!

~ Roxy

[Marcia Selsor]

Bill Alexander wrote an early article for Potters about toxic chemicals who taught at MSU Bozeman in the mid 70s. He wrote Hazards in the Arts. Monona Rossol as been involved in publicizing hazards in the Arts for several decades. I met her at NECEA Supermud around 1978 You can research their writings to get some accurate information.

http://www.artscraftstheatersafety.org/bio.html

Marcia

[Guest JBaymore]

Some of this is easy to research.  Search "MSDS" and the name for the material you are considering.

 

Monona Rossol is THE resource for this kind of stuff in the arts field.  http://www.artscraftstheatersafety.org/

 

Three books that are of use: 

 

"Artist Beware"                                               "Artist's Health and Safety Guide"

Dr. Michael McCann                                      Monona Rossol; Industrial Hygienist

Lyons Press                                                     Allworth Press

2nd Ed.  1993  576p                                       2nd Ed.  1994  343p

ISBN 1558211756                                          ISBN  1880559188

 

 

"Keeping Claywork Safe and Legal"

Monona Rossol; Industrial Hygienist

NCECA Publications

PO Box 1677

Bandon, OR  97411

 

ACTS has a handout sheet on how to read an MSDS.... it is important to actually understand what you are looking at so that you can assess how YOU will handle the information gained.  Also research terminology of things like "LD50" and other terms pretty well known in the more scientific and H+S world that potters do not necessarily use all that much if at all.

 

Know that even things that are generally of low to negligible toxicity for the average population can be toxic to certain individuals.  SO there are no absolute guarantees of 100% safety in all situations.  As far as toxicity potentially affecting your clients....... the "gap" between what you can actually do to prevent such situations... and the off chance that you miss something.... is product liability insurance and running the pottery business as an LLC.

 

A broad education in the field is the key to lots of aspects of ceramics.  This prevents the all too typical "hysteria" about health and safety issues in the studio....... and replaces that with facts and resources.

 

  

best,

 

.......................john

[neilestrick]

When dealing with raw glaze materials, you should consider them all to be toxic to some degree. Always wear an appropriate mask, sponge clean, wash hands, don't eat or drink or smoke when handling them, good ventilation, etc.

 

As for the fired materials, it depends. 3% copper can be perfectly safe, or it can leach out. It all depends on the formula of the glaze. There aren't many hard and fast rules that are always true, so you have to learn to formulate good glazes, and have them tested.

[Mark C.]

Hey if you ( are smoking) you really do not care about  your health-Pottery is not whats going to get you.Just saying the obvious.

[bciskepottery]

Many books on making glazes, e.g., John Britt's high and mid firing books, Robin Hopper's books, often denote which materials are toxic or require special handing. Ceramics supplies may also note that information on their websites.