Latex-free respirator

Carol Wickenhiser-Schaudt <watercolorist [at] schaudt__us> writes

>Due to chemical sensitivities, I am in need of a latex-free
>respirator so that I can work with turpentine or mineral spirits. I
>can find latex-free respirators for use with dust, but not one for
>chemicals. Would any of you know where I can purchase one?

If you are going to find a respirator to which you are not allergic
or sensitive, you need to know what it is you react to.  And "latex"
is not that thing.  The term "latex" only refers to a water emulsion
of some substance that is hydrophobic.  There are natural rubber
latexes, acrylic latexes, silicon latexes, and on and on.

And by the time the rubber or plastic latex has been processed in to
solid respirator facepiece, it is no longer a "latex" at all.

It is most likely you are allergic to natural rubber, since about
15% of people using this tree-sap derived substance develop an
allergy to it.  There also are plasticizers and other additives in
all plastic to which some people are also sensitive.  Every plastic
contains at least a dozen chemicals that will not be disclosed by
the manufacturer and about which little or nothing is known.

So no one can really advise you.  Each individual is different and
the only one who will know if there is something in the respirator
plastic that will cause you symptoms is you.

And if you have a choice of working with turpentine or mineral
spirits, mineral spirits wins hands down.  And the best petroleum
distillates in the mineral spirits boiling point range is a highly
refined one called Gamsol, sold by Gamblin paint.  There's another
one called Isopar L from Dow I think. These both have TLV-TWAs of
100 ppm.

Turpentine is a known sensitizer as most natural substances are.
Natural rubber from trees, turpentine from trees, and citrus oil
from the rind of oranges are all examples of highly sensitizing
chemicals that even non sensitive people should avoid when possible.

The TLV-TWA of turpentine is 20 ppm (the lower this number, the less
is allowed in the air for most healthy adult workers under the ACGIH
TLV guideline).  If you don't know what these are, get busy reading.
As a person with sensitivities, this is another bit of knowledge you
need to help protect yourself.  I'll send you something on them if
you provide a postal address.

Monona Rossol, M.S., M.F.A.,
industrial hygienist
Arts, Crafts &Theater Safety, Inc.
and
Safety Officer,
United Scenic Artist's, Local USA829
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes (IATSE)
181 Thompson St., #23
New York NY 10012-2586-212/777-0062


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:26
                 Distributed: Sunday, November 27, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-25-26-004
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