Response to Safety of Pyro

Pyrogallo is toxic and is easily absorbed through the skin, but so is catechol, which is the primary ingredient in DiXactol and Pyrocat- HD. With that said, neither is so toxic that a few drops of developer solution on your hands will cause you any harm. Just don't be excessively careless about it. Don't sprinkle it on your cornflakes in the morning! But don't worry about incidental contact. The exposure levels that are truly dangerous would be something like immersing your hands in it on a daily basis for a full workday. You should be careful with the dust, however. Pyrogallo is particularly dusty, and you certainly should wear a mask when mixing the formula. Catechol is less dusty, but you probably should still show it the same respect. Inhaling the dust is a lot more dangerous than a few drops on your hands. If you tray process your film, wear gloves with either solution. Ted

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