Dimethylformamide (DMF), which is used by painting conservators, should be regarded as a carcinogen and handled with extreme caution. DMF enters the body by inhalation and skin absorption. Acute health effects include skin and eye irritation, cracking and drying of skin, stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Chronic health effects include testicular cancer, damage to the developing fetus, and liver and kidney damage. The Threshold Limit Value and Occupational Safety and Health Administration Permissible Exposure Limit for DMF is 10 parts per million averaged over an eight-hour day.