wa123

Darkroom Health Hazards vs Digital  Imaging SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Under what conditions would you consider (or have you already considered)  a transition from the Traditional(wet) Darkroom to Digital (dry) Imaging? Please place the following 5 reasons into your personal priority order. 1.  Interest 2.  Health 3.  Cost 4.  Quality 5.  Creative Possibilities If you placed HEALTH as y our top priority I would appreciate any time you could give to the following questionnaire. ATTENTION: lab technicians, teachers, photographers and professional printers This message is a query for individuals who have worked in the darkroom from 5-25 years and SUFFER SOME SORT OF HEALTH PROBLEM: possibly due to the darkroom chemicals, ventilation or hazardous waste from the darkroom.   I am defining darkroom health problems as any chemical or environmental discomfort or real clinical illness one experiences who regularly (20-40 hours per week) works in such an environment . Very little research has been attempted on this topic, but as a photographer and teacher myself I have seen in the past 20 years many of my colleagues suffer from small ailments (skin irritation, loss of pigment, headaches etc.)  to more serious problems such as pancreatic cancer, hearing loss, critical blood counts and depression.  Most often the issue of adequate ventilation arises and I know of many labs and schools with sufficient ventilation whose workers or students do suffer from some ailment due to exposure in the darkroom. I have ceased printing Ilfochrome (previously known as Cibachrome), I stay out of the darkroom as much as possible in the summer when I do not teach but take great precautions during the 9 months I do teach.  Seven years ago I began having severe chest pains after printing heavily with Cibachrome (this seems to be a common problem with Cibachrome users).  I was more frightened than ill but my physician diagnosed my condition as osteochondritis (inflammation of the sternum) which ceased a few months after I ceased printing Ilfochrome.  I did have what I thought to be adequate ventilation. I am preparing a thesis on this topic of DIGITAL IMAGING (DRY DARKROOMS) replacing TRADITIONAL (wet) DARKROOMS and the health reasons determining this particular photographic transition. I am a college professor at a small private mid-western college and am soliciting information from any interested photographer.  Many photographers in our town have changed over to digital imaging in their studios as well as labs.  Many colleges are wrestling with the pressure of investing in computer technology  for their art and graphic areas and many professional printers are seriously considering and actually printing via the dry printer.   I would greatly appreciate any insight you might share.  I realize medical information may  be a personal issue you would not care to share with everyone reading this message, therefore if you would like you may send you information to my E-Mail address.  If anyone who reads this does care to share their experiences  on-line it may be of benefit to other photographers. When you respond I request you cite  several areas: 1.  How many years have you spent in the darkroom? 2.  How well have you protected yourself in the darkroom? 3.  When and if did  you first start having physical or emotional difficulties ? 4.  Did you see a physician?  What was his/her diagnosis? 5.  Did your physician attribute the problem to your profession or was he/she unsure and simply      felt the problem was a mystery ? 6.  Have you done any research on your own concerning the darkroom and your illness?  Please      List your references if possible. 7.  Have you chosen to leave the traditional (wet) darkroom for the digital (dry) darkroom                  because of health problems and if so how has this transition helped you? If you are interested in receiving a copy of my findings please indicate so at the end of your response.  I speculate the final draft to be completed by May 1996.   I believe this is an issue all of us as photographers must address.  By citing actual cases I feel we can get closer to protecting ourselves from the wet darkroom or making the large decision to go digital .  I want to stress that by going digital I do not mean forgetting the wonderful physical act of photography...I am addressing  only the chemical vs dry environment issue. I look forward to your thoughts, insights and experiences.  Building a dialogue in reference to this issue is encouraged.  Please feel free to send questions to me also.  Again, you responses will be received on this forum unless you prefer confidentiality.  My E-Mail address is below.   Please note that this is not a scientific study.  As a teacher and professional photographer I have been curious about this issue for many years.  This information will be compiled as an empirical study for the benefit of those individuals interested in what other working photographers, teachers and lab technicians have experienced in the darkroom over a period of time.  I am not anticipating all negative answers to this survey nor do I expect all positive answers.  My goal is to accumulate a sufficient number of responses in order to present some notion of why and how photographers choose the environment in which they work. Appreciatively, Karen Thompson Pequignot This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it        or     This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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