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Health-related
labels on art materials sold in the U.S. must conform to certain
standards, by law. Here's an explanation of symbols and acronyms
you'll see on labels.
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Many art and crafts materials carry seals from the Art and
Creative Materials Institute, a private association whose
220 industry members contract for toxicological evaluation.
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| According
to ACMI, its AP seal "is found on products
that contain no materials in sufficient quantities to
be toxic or injurious to humans or to cause acute or chronic
health problems." |
The
CL seal "is found on art materials for adults
that are certified to be properly labeled for any known
health risks and is accompanied by information on the
safe and proper use of such materials." |
The two
seals shown here are replacing other ACMI symbols (including
older-style "AP," "CP," and "HL,"
with variations). For details on ACMI programs and some basic
health and safety guidelines, go to their website at acminet.org.
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ASTM D4236 is a standard published by the (non-industry
chaired) "artists paints" subcommittee of the American
Society for Testing & Materials. As the standard itself
declares, "Since knowledge about chronic health hazards
is incomplete and warnings cannot cover all uses of any product,
it is not possible for precautionary labeling to ensure completely
safe use of an art product."
| "Conforms
to D-4236" on an art material label does NOT mean
the product
is "non-toxic." Rather, it means: |
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the material has been evaluated by a toxicologist
for acute and chronic toxicity;
• the label names the ingredients identified
as presenting a chronic health hazard, if any;
• a product presenting a chronic health hazard
comes with safe use instructions.
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LHAMA, the federal Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials
Act, governs hazard labeling nationally. Its intent is that
art materials should be labeled to warn consumers of potential
chronic (long-term or slow-emerging) hazards. LHAMA transformed
ASTM D4236 from a voluntary standard into a mandatory rule.
LHAMA is enforced by the Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
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How to use labels? There's honest disagreement about
the adequacy of hazard labels. Treat label information for
what it is: the bare minimum required by current law.
Words
like "Warning," "Caution," "Harmful
if swallowed," "Use with adequate ventilation, "Avoid
skin contact" alert you to the presence of toxins. Request
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from makers to identify
product contents. Products change, standards change, knowledge
improves - so stay informed.
Your
own judgement is the most important ingredient of all. Remember:
just because something is on the market does NOT mean it's
safe.
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