THE CRAZY IDEA OF NON-TOXIC PIGMENTS

Recently, some folks have been marketing raw pigments for making “non-toxic” paints at home. This is the oldest mistake in the book. Sure, titanium white is used in toothpaste, paints, plastics, papers, inks, foods and almost every sun screen. But that is not the pure powder. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says titanium white is an IARC Group 2B carcinogen when inhaled! Titanium dioxide accounts for 70% of the total production volume of pigments worldwide. It is safe when used in oil paint or other binder, but full protection must be used when making the paint from powder (NIOSH-approved mask, gloves, apron, eye protection, HEPA filter vacuum, etc). The same is true for ALL pigments. None should be inhaled, either by adults or children.