The dangers of dry erase markers

[mhg]

Thanks to all who voted on my dry erase vs. chalkboard (stench or dust) post. You overwhelming suggested I get the dry erase. Before I posted the thread I was leaning toward chalkboard as the fumes gave me headaches and I worried about the exposure of the fumes/chemicals/dust(even the dryerase markers create a type of dust). So, I did a search using bing.com on "are dry erase markers harmful toxic to children" and wikipedia came up and I'll cut and paste what it said. Anyone else heard of such or share/don't share this concern?

 

Are dry erase markers harmful to health?

 

 

Expo 1 dry-erase markers outdated, unhealthy

http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/puma/apr06/marker.html

 

By Ben Norris

Environment Editor

Read Below...

........................

When the Sanford Corporation put the Expo 2 dryerase marker on the market in 1989, it provided a safer alternative to the Expo markers, which are used in classrooms all over the country.

The company, however, left the original Expo on the market, which is still being sold to colleges, high schools and elementary schools. The main ingredient, a chemical called Methyl isobutyl ketone, is listed under 39 different synonyms, according to documents provided by PVCC biology faculty.

 

Whether it's listed as Hexone, MIBK or chemical code 044105, the side effects are the same. Short-term exposure to this product can cause headache, nausea, light-headedness and even enlargement of the liver.

 

The Puma Press has received reports from faculty members on campus who have been affected by long-term exposure to the chemicals in the Expo 1 marker.

 

Although the company hasn't broken any laws, the likelihood of adverse side affects increases in children, according to a document published by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and provided to the Puma Press through biology faculty at PVCC.

 

"Young children cannot be expected to follow instructions for the proper use of material," the report reads. "Such contact provides ample opportunity for inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. Children are generally less able to tolerate exposure to chemicals."

 

Palomino Elementary is one of many schools in the state using both Expo 1 and Expo 2 markers.

 

Other documents show that the maximum "safe" exposure to Methyl isobutyl ketone is no more than 15 minutes during a normal eight-hour work day. Absorption through the skin may be a significant source of exposure, which invalidates the 15 minute rule when the chemical hits skin.

 

The main ingredient in the Expo 2 markers is ethanol, a much less abrasive chemical, but one that takes more energy and money to produce.

[HayesW]

Crayola now makes CRAYONS for the dry erase boards. No caps, no odor. I bought several sets for our classroom.

[Amanda's Mommy]

Crayola now makes CRAYONS for the dry erase boards. No caps, no odor. I bought several sets for our classroom.

 

Please tell us where you found them?

[hsmamainva]

Please tell us where you found them?

 

I've seen them numerous places -- Walmart, Target, Toys R Us -- they're in the Crayola section. Dry erase crayons.

[naturegirl7]

Crayola washable markers are what I let DS use for his dry erase boards - cuz I am worried about the junk in the dry erase markers and the fumes kicking up his asthma. Not a bold, bright line, and it can smear sometimes, but it is well worth it to me - just make sure they are the washable markers! LOL

[Caitilin]

An alternative that just occurred to me was a large pad of paper hung on the wall, and use regular markers. Then you have no dust and no fumes. Not wholly the same, but awfully close. ~shrug~ It might fit your bill. :)

[Pippen]

I was a high school teacher and when we were building a new high school the math and science departments were adamant about installing chalk boards instead of dry erase boards. We were concerned about the chemicals, the waste going into landfill, and the cost. The architects argued with us but finally gave in and put chalkboards in our departments only.

 

After some years most of that group of teachers were gone I believe that the younger staff pushed for the whiteboards and got them. Chalk dust does have it's problems though: not at all good for electronic devices, difficult for those with respiratory problems, hard for contact lens wearers, etc.

[silliness7]

Can anyone comment on how the crayola product performs?

 

How well/easy does it erase? Does it make a nice crisp line that is easy on the eyes? Are they big and fat or are there fine tips as well? Do you have to push harder than usual to get a nice mark?

[stripe]

I bought some crayon like things from Rainbow Resource (no longer available) that were called White Board Crayons. They were very waxy and hard to remove. I wouldn't wildly recommend them.

[Cinder]

I wonder if the Rose Art markers are bad, too. I usually buy those for dry erase because the fumes from Expo give me a headache, but I don't get one from Rose Art.

 

What about just using wet erase markers? Or would that be too messy?

 

Cinder

[Melora in NC]

Thank you so much for posting this! My kids have been using Expo markers happily for years. I am going to dispose of them immediately, and just hope I haven't done them any lasting damage.

[Tap]

Crayola now makes CRAYONS for the dry erase boards. No caps, no odor. I bought several sets for our classroom.

 

DD3 uses these on her desk. They work good and she is pretty rough on things still.

 

An alternative that just occurred to me was a large pad of paper hung on the wall, and use regular markers. Then you have no dust and no fumes. Not wholly the same, but awfully close. ~shrug~ It might fit your bill. :)

 

We do this for some things. I buy large pads from Art Media in Portland Or. They are 100pg for under $7. We use them for a lot of things.

 

Can anyone comment on how the crayola product performs?

 

How well/easy does it erase? Does it make a nice crisp line that is easy on the eyes? Are they big and fat or are there fine tips as well? Do you have to push harder than usual to get a nice mark?

 

They are just like crayons. No, they don't leave a crisp line like a chisel point maker and they are not as bright. They really are just like what you would expect from a crayon vs. marker. They are fat like toddler crayons and are pretty sturdy but do break. You need some real strength behind them to get them to dry erase, even with the included mitt. We use diaper wipes and they wipe right off with no shadows or debris.

 

That being said, I love them for dd3!

 

I wonder if the Rose Art markers are bad, too. I usually buy those for dry erase because the fumes from Expo give me a headache, but I don't get one from Rose Art.

 

What about just using wet erase markers? Or would that be too messy?

 

Cinder

 

I would not buy ANY Roseart products. They are notoriously bad quality.

 

 

I also have Melissa and Doug wipe off crayons and they are horrible...don't buy those.

[Rhea]

This got me wondering about the ones we have - Expo low odor ink. I found a safety sheet online, but not an ingredient list.

 

I also found "non-toxic refillable markers" for the white board:

 

http://mywhiteboards.com/auspen-refillable-markers.html

[CalicoKat]

Crayola now makes CRAYONS for the dry erase boards. No caps, no odor. I bought several sets for our classroom.

 

I saw those at Staples today and wondered how it they were.

 

Could they potentially be used by a creative child on the wall?

[Rhea]

Before ordering the "non toxic" markers I gave a website for above, I'd write and ask them about the ingredients. They claim there is no xylene which causes the odor. I didn't find xylene listed as a synonym for Methyl isobutyl ketone, but did find a chemical data sheet where they were listed as separate ingredients which implies to me that they are not one and the same. (Anyone know?) I would want to make sure the markers had no methyl isobutyl ketone. Especially at that price!

[Pippen]

Could they potentially be used by a creative child on the wall?

 

Potentially creative kids aren't selective about what they use to write on walls. :lol: Mine just used whatever writing utensil he could find. I just found remnants of a growth chart he'd penciled onto our microwave cabinet. I thought I got that all cleaned up years ago. :001_huh:

[Satori]

That article is from over 4 years ago, but they mentioned safer alternatives the company is now making. Anybody know if their markers found in stores like Staples with fast turnover are safe versions? We've never had any issues with the fumes or headaches, so we'll keep using them, whiteboards are just super handy. Now the fumes on our Prismacolor markers, those we can smell!

[angela in ohio]

Well, this article is about Expo 1 markers, which are difficult to find and not commonly used in children's classes, so it doesn't really worry me. I had to use Expo 1 once because of a bad dry erase board in a classroom I used (the Expo 1 erase more easily,) and it was hard to find them. I had to go to an offic supply store and they had one rack of them. I would bet that 99% of homeschool parents are using the Expo 2 markers, which are about the same as the other "low odor" markers on the market.

[Satori]

Yeah, I guess I'm not worried either.

 

I did a search and did find these eco-safe dry erase markers that are safe for your health and on the environment. Looks hard to order though if you're not in Australia...

http://auspenmarkers.com/products/#carry

[Tardis Girl]

Test results on Crayola's dry-erase crayons (I just posted this on another thread, but thought it might be useful here):

 

I tested the new dry-erase crayons and this time left them on for 24hrs+. ALL of the "crayon" colors erased beautifully from my white board with no hint of color left behind. I used a paper towel to erase. The areas that were colored in more obviously took a little more pressure to remove, but still no trace of color left on the board. :hurray:

 

$2.99 for a box of 8 colors at Target -- maybe cheaper elsewhere, but I'm satisfied even at that price. Has a built-in sharpener on the back of the box (probably good so it's exclusively for those crayons only), and a little "mitt" for erasing... but a paper towel works just fine too.

[Rhea]

Thanks for the review! I'm heading to town today and I hope I can find these.

[Cinder]

 

I would not buy ANY Roseart products. They are notoriously bad quality.

 

 

 

Agree about Rose Art products--the dry erase markers are the only Rose Art products I've sort of liked mainly because of the odor/headache issue. And only because I needed dry erase markers to use at co-op. But that was a couple years ago now, and I don't plan to replace them with more. I guess I just don't care for dry erase markers in general.

 

Cinder

[TKDmom]

Before ordering the "non toxic" markers I gave a website for above, I'd write and ask them about the ingredients. They claim there is no xylene which causes the odor. I didn't find xylene listed as a synonym for Methyl isobutyl ketone, but did find a chemical data sheet where they were listed as separate ingredients which implies to me that they are not one and the same. (Anyone know?) I would want to make sure the markers had no methyl isobutyl ketone. Especially at that price!

 

Xylene is not the same as methyl isobutyl ketone, but it is another stinky solvent. I've looked up chemical names on Wikipedia before. You can usually get a look at the chemical structure to compare, which might be easier than trying to figure out all the synonyms.

 

ETA: I just did a search for the MSDS for those AusPen markers. It listed the solvents as 2-propanol (aka isopropyl alcohol, isopropanol, or rubbing alcohol) and ethanol. So I'd imagine they are safe.

 

The Expo Low odor markers had isopropanol, ethanol and butanol (3 different types of alcohol), among other ingredients which they did not describe. Here is the document I found in case you're interested.

Edited August 5, 2010 by bonniebeth4

[Mrs Mungo]

http://www.okinhealth.com/articles/Safer-Art-and-Hobby-Materials.html#markers

 

Which dry erase markers are the safest? How toxic are the fumes?

 

There are two kinds of dry erase markers available. The standard ones (e.g. Expo brand) contain methyl isobutyl ketone and butyl acetate. “Low odor†markers (e.g. Expo 2) are also available. These are alcohol based and may contain a blend of ethanol, isopropanol, and butanol. Based on allowed workplace levels of these solvents, the alcohols in the low-odor markers are generally less toxic than those in standard markers. If dry erase markers are necessary, the low odor markers would be the better choice.

 

The regular Expo dry erase markers are still out there. We use the Expo 2 low-odor markers.

[sbgrace]

You can buy "green, nontoxic" white board markers but they are pricey. We use the crayola white board crayons and I've been really happy with them. In addition to no odor they don't rub off easily/stain clothes. If my kids do a lot of heavy dark colors in one spot I've used a wet paper towel on the white board but the crayons come off well here.

[Country Mouse]

The regular Expo dry erase markers are still out there. We use the Expo 2 low-odor markers.

 

Should the markers say "Expo 2" or just "Expo low odor"? We have the low odor kind but none of them have a number 2 on them. I searched all over Walmart today and I could not find any Expo markers with a 2.

[angela in ohio]

Should the markers say "Expo 2" or just "Expo low odor"? We have the low odor kind but none of them have a number 2 on them. I searched all over Walmart today and I could not find any Expo markers with a 2.

 

They just say Low Odor. I think the 1 and 2 were more visible when the 1s were still popular.

[Country Mouse]

They just say Low Odor. I think the 1 and 2 were more visible when the 1s were still popular.

 

Awesome, thanks. That means that we are already using the right kind!

[AnneGabe]

Wow, this is interesting.

 

Thanks tap, tap, tap and Stacey for the information and review on the dry erase crayons. I had no idea they existed, I'm thinking these'll be great if my son gets ahold of crayons and ends up coloring on his furniture again! I think I'll look for some at the store today :001_smile:

[Mommyof4ks]

We use the Expo low order dry erase markers. My asthmatic cannot be around chalk dust, so it was a no brainier for us to go with dry erase. DE does not bother his asthma at all.

[Quiver0f10]

Wow, this is interesting.

 

Thanks tap, tap, tap and Stacey for the information and review on the dry erase crayons. I had no idea they existed, I'm thinking these'll be great if my son gets ahold of crayons and ends up coloring on his furniture again! I think I'll look for some at the store today :001_smile:

 

I just got back from WM and saw these. A box of 8 was $4.45 and comes with a wipe off mit and the box has a built in sharpener. I didn't buy them today but plan to later this week when I do my BTS shopping.

[silliness7]

I just got back from WM and saw these. A box of 8 was $4.45 and comes with a wipe off mit and the box has a built in sharpener. I didn't buy them today but plan to later this week when I do my BTS shopping.

 

I just bought a box of 8 at Wal-Mart for $4.44. I played around with them a little bit and really like them. I hope they don't break easily. We'll see how they hold up.

[Quiver0f10]

I just bought a box of 8 at Wal-Mart for $4.44. I played around with them a little bit and really like them. I hope they don't break easily. We'll see how they hold up.

 

I didn't buy them when we saw them the other day then yesterday I went to do my BTS shopping and they were out! I hope they get more in before we start. I use my white board a lot.

[Jan in SC]

Our crayons broke quickly! Be sure to try them on a small board, as the crayons ruined ours. They just smeared the crayola goodness all over the board. (As well as the counter!)

[Tap]

Our crayons broke quickly! Be sure to try them on a small board, as the crayons ruined ours. They just smeared the crayola goodness all over the board. (As well as the counter!)

 

Have you tried washing them off? I use wet wipes with ours and it works great. I was even able to wash of a spot on a sheet with a wet wipe.

 

Sorry you didn't have good luck with them, I guess different types of board handle them differently. Can I ask what type of board you have so others don't have the same problem? Is it a metal (magnetic) dry erase, a regular classroom quality dry erase board, a thin or cheaper dry erase (like a toy one or from a dollar store) or a homemade board made from tile backer board? The boards we have used them on are both classroom quality dry erase boards.

[Guest Lorrie LB]

Have you tried Crayola washable markers on the dry erase board? That gives you lots of color options too.

[Mommyof4ks]

We use wet erase markers, because they work so well on the white boards and they actually clean off well unlike the dry erase markers. They don't stink either!

[Mrs. H]

I'm usually just a lurker here, but am dropping in to say that we use the dry erase crayons, and they wash off with water perfectly. I keep a moistened rag with me when I use them, but have used a spray bottle of water with paper towels effectively as well.

 

They are great for Sequential Spelling, because I don't have to worry about constantly putting caps back on. :)