I like to make my flash-card with sharpies and I wonder, are the vapors harmful?
2007-02-15 05:03:14 · 3 answers · asked by loco 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Drawing & Illustration
Any permanent marker is bad to inhale, but not THAT bad. Just make sure the room is well-ventilated and don't stick any up your nose!
Seriously, though, the amount of chemicals in the air from the ink is not great enough to worry about. You're more likely to get a paper cut from your flashcards than have health risks associated with the ink.
2007-02-15 05:11:02 · answer #1 · answered by imadriana 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can't honestly say I know whether or not sharpie vapours could be harmful, but I use them often and never really noticed the smell, so they can't be that bad. They don't have a strong odour like some kinds of markers. If your worried just be sure to work in a well ventilated room near an open window.
2007-02-15 15:47:43 · answer #2 · answered by mj_indigo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Below is the Material Data Safety Sheet information page for Sharpie markers. The permanent ones use a combination of n-propanol, n-butanol and diacetone alcohol.
The products are labeled non-toxic, but there's a lot of health report information such as chemical reactivity which is "Not Available". Also this report I'm reading now was last updated in 2001. Read the Hazard Communication Standard disclaimer at the bottom of the page.
http://www.sharpie.com/sanford/consumer/sharpie/whatsinside/msds.jhtml
I dunno about you, but in my opinion, if it smells like it's bad for you, it probably is. There are a lot of markers available now that are not solvent based that perform just as well - I personally feel safer using those.
2007-02-15 17:01:00 · answer #3 · answered by joyfulpaints 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋