Is the amonia in latex toxic?

[inkmonster]

I just bought some latex on ebay its called tripple XXX its supposed to be the new wave in latex. Its supposed to be 3 times stronger with a thinner casting than the other stuff out there with a thicker pour. My question is I heard that the amonia smell is not supposed to be harmfull to breath in. But this stuff the amonia smell is so strong I poured my casting in a fairly large well ventaled room with a cleapo resperator on. And it was still so strong it took my breath away from me so much that I actually let the mold slip from my hands I couldnt be anywhere near it. It was a nightmare doing the casting and I puked 3 times with the resperator on. Will the amonia fumes cause any harm to your lungs or any other part of your body for that matter. Im ready to dump the rest of this stuff in a swamp.

 

[inkmonster]

Well I just spoke to the guy in a email that I bought it from he said he put that it had a high NH3 in his add. I dont know what that means. And I didnt have the best resperator so I dont know if this stuff is harmfull or what. It felt like it literly burnt my throat and lungs im about ready to seek medical attention. I hope that Im gonna be allright from this crap Im kinda pissed I allways thought it was safe to breath in latex vapors.

 

[TiaJa]

That sucks...You should def go see a doctor if your throat is burning
Hope your alright, best of luck

 

[inkmonster]

I just spoke to Joe newpredmaker and hes been using this latex for along time now. He said its perfectly safe and nontoxic. He said just dont expose yourself to the fumes for days on end without the proper resperator as it can cause pnemonia. He said if you sweat alot while using it it can also cause minor chemical burns but nothing to worry about. He told me to just keep a eye on if I display any symptoms of getting pnemonia but should be fine as long as Im not around the fumes for a long time. The next one I do Im going outside with this stuff and a full faced resperator. LOL.

 

[Uratz]

Try having those mini fans blowing away (at medium speed) the smell during the pour 2 feet away from your mold. Yes wear respirator as well.

 

[detale78]

I got messed up after using silicone molding caulk; the amonia smell is noxious and it also burned my throat very badly and made me sick. After about a day or so I was fine but I would never use this stuff again without wearing a respirator, outside, and with a fan blowing the odors away from me. I know how you feel and I'm sorry, just remember anything with amonia can irritate and effect your body if not used properly, it is used in industrial cleaners as well. Im sure this is a lesson your not soon to forget as it was for me. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Dakath]

Always watch out with ammonia fumes!!!!! Saying that it's not toxic is realy b.llsh.t.

You get permanant long damage if you expose your airways to it and mutch more, believe me.

I've seen all kind of arm that ammonia fumes could do to a mens body when I was in firefighter school.

It was not a pretty sight, believe me.

 

[Elder one]

THis is a tidbit from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Diseases. You might want to re-think "over exposure" without a respirator.



How can ammonia affect my health?
No health effects have been found in humans exposed to typical environmental concentrations of ammonia. Exposure to high levels of ammonia in air may be irritating to your skin, eyes, throat, and lungs and cause coughing and burns. Lung damage and death may occur after exposure to very high concentrations of ammonia. Some people with asthma may be more sensitive to breathing ammonia than others.

Swallowing concentrated solutions of ammonia can cause burns in your mouth, throat, and stomach. Splashing ammonia into your eyes can cause burns and even blindness.


How likely is ammonia to cause cancer?
There is no evidence that ammonia causes cancer. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the EPA, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), have not classified ammonia for carcinogenicity.




E-O

 

[carlart]

Here you go, Dwayne - Ammonia's Effects:
Material Safety Data Sheet for Ammonia

Folks, this is a case in point of why you must take the time to read the MSDS sheets that are required by law to be shipped with the materials we all buy (Smooth On certainly does).
Take the time to read these people, using the suggested safety equipment along with adequate fan driven ventilation. They must be used together. Screwing up your bodies for a hobby ain't worth it. While you're at it, wear nitrile gloves and be sure to keep your skin covered.....and don't forget safety glasses! Some of these compounds can blind you, not to mention spinning debris from a Dremel. Here's an example

Here's the type of respirator you want to use, there are different manufacturers besides 3M
3M Respirator: #R5201
Grainger match: #5T565

Be sure to get the one with the ORGANIC CT6 filters

3M Technical Assistance 1-800-243-4630

 

[NewPredMaker]

It's not that the fumes are non-toxic, I didn't say that. I did however explain that prolonged exposure to the fumes (ammonia) can lead to pneumonia, because it causes fluid build up in the lungs. Him getting hit this initial time and walking away from it wasn't going to cause any major damage. But from now on to use a Respirator with Chem-gas cartridges to prevent over exposure... Work in well ventilated areas, and don't stick your head in the mold went the latex is dwelling. The fumes on this latex are really potent, and seam to hang around, but it is a great casting medium. But as always, check the MSDS on any materials you intend to work with. Thanx for posting that carl...


Dakath- Be sure you specify which ammonia you are referring to... In Industrial Fire Training we were trained on the effects of Industrial Anhydrous Ammonia, and that is a TOTALLY different beast... While essentially the same product, Industrial Anhydrous Ammonia, is about 100 times worse than the common gas released from latex, or the household cleaner. It actually has a lower H2O content, which causes a more rapid bonding to water molecules. A person exposed to a cloud of this stuff without supplied air to breath, will go down, and might not get back up... I work in some of the largest Petro Chem plants in the world, I have been on the Fire Rescue Team for 6yr.s and been hit with a a shot or two. Even in full bunker gear, the fumes can permiate, and cause irriation to the skin. Even you hair can dryout and become brittle.

 

[Elder one]

I think the bottom-line here is - - think before you sniff......



E-O

 

[Mannowar]

I know this thread is a bit old, but I just saw it and wanted to chime in, considering the constant influx of new membership here on the Lair. For those of you who are new to this, I recommend you wear a respirator and goggles for ANY activity surrounding the materials that we commonly work with. Almost everything we use to build these costumes is chemical based. Ammonia in latex (plus I use extra ammonia to thin mine). Plasti-dip is basically cancer in a can... Pros-aide and Perma-Wet are both adhesive based products... You don't realize when you're spraying these how many tiny particals are floating around and then to be breathing that in... One hell of a way to have your lungs close up on you... breathing in an adhesive based spray... Not to mention that people seldom consider the solvents used to clean things. I generally us Naptha as my main solvent, primarily because it works the best (IMO)... But it comes with a price... Talk about cancer in a can... that stuff is pretty much liquid benzene. If you ever want to see what the effects of Naptha is, put some on a latex glove and you can pretty much watch the glove disappear right before your eyes... the Naptha just disintegrates it. Don't be using solvents like that to scrub the paint off your fingers either.. So, not only do you need to be aware of what you're breathing, but also of what your skin touches. Even plaster. I've gone through probably 300 lbs. of plaster in the past 8 weeks and needless to say, if I don't constantly clean up in my work area, it tends to look like a major coke dealer lives in my garage. Plaster dust is just as hard on the lungs as many chemicals are.

Seriously, for all you new members who are (or may be in the future) working with any of these products, on any level, budget aside $50 for a good respirator and some quality safety goggles. And ditto to what Carl said... Read the specs on what you're working with. Know what it does, and more importantly, what it CAN do, if not handled properly.

 

[Roydraven]

wow inkmonster that's so bad what happened to you mate hope it didn't damage you at all,yeah manowar thanks heaps for what you posted I'm new to all this and I totally want to start making my predator suit I'm not super rich but the major thing I'm buying before starting anything is goggles and a hell of a good respirator,I haven't even started painting my P1 mask I bought off lee 3 months ago and before I do I will be buying proper protection.

 

[Unforgiven Hunter]

I was looking at this thread again, and I went and looked up some respirators but there is several different sizes. How do you know which size to choose?

-Chris

 

[Mr Fett]

Go to the local hardware store and ask the employees, based on what chemicals you will be dealing with. Some of the types of respirators say on the package what it's best used for (painting, etc) and some seem to be generic respirators.

 

[Robillicus]

Check out paint stores and hardware stores for the respirators. Ask a clerk to open one up for you to see if it fits your face. Where I work, we carry two sizes - large and medium. Generally, the bigger respirators are specifically for organic vapors (solvents and other nasty chemicals), and they run anywhere from $30 - $50 (mine went for about $55-$60 retail). You could probably find them cheaper online, but you won't be able to test fit them. Stick with the 3M line - expensive but worth it.

There are also disposable masks as well that protect against vapors and dust. Me personally, I wouldn't put much faith in the disposable vapor masks. I just don't trust something that's meant to be thrown away after it's used once.

Also, I've never been able to find out just how long the respirator cartridges are supposed to last , i.e., how many hours of use you'd get. So, my rule is that if you can smell it through the mask, and it's tightly sealed around your mouth and nose; the filters are exhausted and should be replaced ASAP.

Latex allergies - If you're wanting to work with latex, I would suggest making sure you're not allergic to latex. I've never had a friend who had just a "mild" reaction. It's always crazy like a huge rash or dizziness. A few people that worked the same company as I do couldn't even get latex house paint spatter on their skin - it was that bad.

To reitterate what's already been said, get the MSDS or Data Page on the product you want to use. Companies HAVE to give it to you if you request it. When I ordered resin for the first time, the salesman automatically sent me an MSDS/Data Page on the resin I got.

Use your head and you shouldn't have any trouble. Always ask questions too. That's why this section is here.

 

[BENSIN]

prolonged exposure to amonia fumes made my weiner huge, unfortunately it also gave me breasts....now I have no friends.




I know: I'm an *******.