Proface

Could The Solvent in Dry-Erase Markers Kill You?

Toluene

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has the following warnings about toluene and Xylene, which is also called Methylbenzene or Toluol

The WHMIS classification is "very toxic". Toluene could be fatal if you swallow it. It can damage unborn babies if the mother of the unborn child breathes toluene vapour.

If you breathe it in a confined area such as a classroom, your nose and throat may start hurting, and it can cause damage to your nervous system too. You may become unconscious from severe exposure, but if you are still conscious, you can start suspecting the toluene vapour that you have breathed from your dry erase markers if you have some of the following symptoms.
* Dizziness
* Headache
* Drowsiness
* Confusion
* Nausea

Eye and skin contact can cause damage similar to breathing it, because it is absorbed through the skin. If you swallow it from markers for kids for instance and some gets into your lungs it can damage your lungs enough to kill you.

Note: there are other benefits to using a water-based dry-erase marker than just safety, but this article is about safety.

If you work in a noisy environment (such as a classroom) and breathe toluene fumes, it can make your industrial deafness worse.

First Aid for Toluene or Xylene

Prevent fire by removing all sources of ignition. You can't remove the chance of a static spark.

If breathed, move the victim to fresh air (e.g. evacuate the classroom if you smell the dry erase solvent). If anyone feels unwell, call a poisons centre.

If you get it on your skin (fortunately you can tell it's on your skin if it's the solvent for your whiteboard markers because of the pigmentation of the marks) then wash gently and thoroughly with a soap that is gentle and non-abrasive, in just-warm water, and rinse under a warm tap for a quarter of an hour or more.

If you get it in your eyes, flush them under a lukewarm gently-flowing tap for five minutes while holding the eyelids open with your fingers. If the eyes are still sore, see a doctor.

If vomiting occurs, make the victim lean forward to decrease the risk of breathing it back into the lungs - which could cause fatal lung damage.

Xylene

This chemical can also be disguised as Dimethylbenzene, Methyltoluene or Xylol

The WHMIS classification is "very toxic".

The health hazards are very similar to those of Toluene, so I won't repeat them here, but the fire hazard seems to be much worse. Xylene vapour in the air can be ignited by static electricity, and cause an explosion.

Water Health Hazards

Apparently if you drink several gallons of water each and every day you can get "water intoxication". I didn't know that it was possible to drink that much water!

More of a problem is the fluoride and chlorine in drinking water, and even more of a problem are the DBP (Disinfectant By Products) resulting from killing bacteria in your drinking water. DBPs can be a thousand times more toxic that the fluoride in your drinking water.

However, dry-erase markers that use water as a solvent use quantities of water that would not be dangerous to drink, and do not give off toxic fumes. Water vapour is not a fire hazard. And some water-soluble inks in markers for kids can be washed out of clothing in water without even using detergent.

You may find markers that say "Toluene Free" or "No Toluene" and they use Xylene instead as the solvent. The main disadvantage of water-based markers is that your writing takes a little longer to dry, but that means that "new" markers that you buy are less likely to have dried out in the warehouse before you buy them.