Editing Pastel (section)

==Health and safety hazards==
Pastels are a dry medium and produce a great deal of dust, which can cause respiratory irritation. More seriously, pastels might use the same pigments as artists' paints, many of which are [[toxic]]. For example, exposure to [[cadmium pigments]], which are common and popular bright yellows, oranges, and reds, can lead to [[cadmium poisoning]]. Pastel artists, who use the pigments without a strong painting binder, are especially susceptible to such poisoning. For this reason, many modern pastels are made using substitutions for cadmium, chromium, and other toxic pigments, while retaining the traditional pigment names.<ref>[http://www.societyofcanadianartists.com/content/page.aspx?section=68&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 "Dry Pastel"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314174534/https://societyofcanadianartists.com/content/page.aspx?section=68&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 |date=14 March 2020 }}, Society of Canadian Artists. Retrieved 26 November 2016.</ref> All brands that have the AP Label<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chaperon |first=Rebecca |title=Art Material Safety: Labelling "AP" or "CL" On Art Materials |url=https://www.artistrunwebsite.com/inspiration/729/Art+Material+Safety%3A+Labelling+%22AP%22+or+%22CL%22+On+Art+Materials}}</ref> by [[ASTM International]] are not considered toxic, and they might use extremely insoluble varieties of cadmium or cobalt pigments that will not be readily absorbed by the human body.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-15 |title=Working safely with Unison Colour pastels {{!}} Unison Colour |url=https://www.unisoncolour.com/working-safely-with-unison-colour-pastels/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Although less toxic when swallowed, they should still be treated with care.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Inc |first=Golden Artist Colors |date=1996-01-01 |title=Will Cadmium Always Be On The Palette? |url=https://justpaint.org/will-cadmium-always-be-on-the-palette/ |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=Just Paint |language=en-US}}</ref>