Description
Silk-screen printing may expose workers to cadmium, chromate, lead, and manganese pigments; also to solvents (Stoddard, toluene, xylene, and ketones). [Rom, 3rd ed, p. 1466] In traditional silk-screen printing, the craftsperson applies the stencil with a brush. The ink is squeezed through the screen to transfer the image. Modern silk-screen printing uses nylon, Dacron, or polyester mesh for the screen and stencils are made with computer software. Designs and lettering for decals, posters, wallpaper, bottles, clothing, and printed circuit boards are commonly produced in this way. UV-cured inks based on acrylates and methacrylates are now the usual method of producing silk-screen images. [Kanerva, p. 1096] Screen-printing in the electronics industry exposes workers to the skin sensitizers 4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane, triglycidyl isocyanurate, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. [Fujimoto, GR. Semiconductor Industry. In: Adams RM. Occupational Skin Diseases, 3rd Ed. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1990; 463-9] Some silk-screen printers are exposed to 2-alkoxyethanols and acetates. [JOEM 1998;40(7):595-600] Other potential exposures to methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol; Ammonium dichromate and carbon arcs used with photo stencils; Carbon arc fumes may contain rare earth metals; [www.ci.tucson.az.us/arthazards/medium.html]