A chemical burn occurs when living tissue is exposed to a
corrosive substance (such as a strong
acid
An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
,
base or
oxidizer) or a
cytotoxic agent (such as
mustard gas,
lewisite
Lewisite (L) (A-243) is an organoarsenic compound. It was once manufactured in the United States, Japan, Germany and the Soviet Union for use as a Chemical warfare, chemical weapon, acting as a vesicant (blister agent) and lung irritant. Although ...
or
arsine). Chemical burns follow standard
burn classification and may cause extensive tissue damage. The main types of irritant and/or corrosive products are: acids, bases,
oxidizers / reducing agents,
solvent
A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...
s, and
alkylants. Additionally, chemical burns can be caused by biological toxins (such as
anthrax toxin) and by some types of cytotoxic
chemical weapons, e.g.,
vesicants such as
mustard gas and
Lewisite
Lewisite (L) (A-243) is an organoarsenic compound. It was once manufactured in the United States, Japan, Germany and the Soviet Union for use as a Chemical warfare, chemical weapon, acting as a vesicant (blister agent) and lung irritant. Although ...
, or
urticants such as
phosgene oxime.
Chemical burns may:
* need no source of heat
* occur immediately on contact
* not be immediately evident or noticeable
* be extremely painful
* diffuse into tissue and damage cellular structures under skin without immediately apparent damage to skin surface
Exposure to a
toxic substance that is insufficient to cause a chemical burn can still be very serious, and the lack of a noticeable effect from a chemical exposure is not an indication of safety, particularly in the case of
chronic exposure.
Presentation
The exact symptoms of a chemical burn depend on the chemical involved. Symptoms include itching,
bleaching or darkening of skin, burning sensations,
trouble breathing, coughing blood and/or
tissue necrosis. Common sources of chemical burns include
sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, ...
(H
2SO
4),
hydrochloric acid (HCl),
sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions .
Sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosive base (chemistry), ...
(NaOH),
lime (CaO),
silver nitrate (AgNO
3), and
hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscosity, viscous than Properties of water, water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usua ...
(H
2O
2). Effects depend on the substance; hydrogen peroxide removes a bleached layer of skin, while nitric acid causes a characteristic color change to yellow in the skin, and silver nitrate produces noticeable black stains. Chemical burns may occur through direct contact on body surfaces, including skin and eyes, via inhalation, and/or by ingestion. Substances that diffuse efficiently in human tissue, e.g.,
hydrofluoric acid,
sulfur mustard, and
dimethyl sulfate
Dimethyl sulfate (DMS) is a chemical compound with formula (CH3O)2SO2. As the diester of methanol and sulfuric acid, its formula is often written as ( CH3)2 SO4 or Me2SO4, where CH3 or Me is methyl. Me2SO4 is mainly used as a methylating agen ...
, may not react immediately, but instead produce the burns and inflammation hours after the contact. Chemical
fabrication,
mining
Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
,
medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
, and related professional fields are examples of occupations where chemical burns may occur. Hydrofluoric acid
leaches into the bloodstream, reacts with calcium and magnesium, and the resulting salts can cause
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...
after eating through skin.
Prevention
In Belgium, the Conseil Supérieur de la Santé gives a scientific advisory report on public health policy. The Superior Health Council of Belgium provides an overview of products that are authorized in Belgium for consumer use and that contain caustic substances, as well as of the risks linked to exposure to these products. This report aims at suggesting protection measures for the consumers, and formulates recommendations that apply to the different stages of the chain, which begins with the formulation of the product, followed by its regulation, marketing, application, post-application and ends with its monitoring.
Gallery
File:Blister-arm.jpg, Chemical burns to the arm, caused by a blister agent e.g. mustard gas
File:Mustard gas chemical burns on combat soldier of the First World War in France about 1918.jpg, Soldier with severe mustard gas burns to back and arms, circa
Circa is a Latin word meaning "around, approximately". Circa or CIRCA may also refer to:
* CIRCA (art platform), in London
* Circa (band), a progressive rock supergroup
* Circa (company), an American skateboard footwear company
* Circa (contempora ...
1918. These burns are severe enough to be life-threatening.
File:MustardGasBurns2.JPG, Soldier with mustard gas burns, circa 1918
File:Blister roundup.jpg, Severe skin burns with blisters are very rare, but possible.
File:HF burned hands.jpg, Hydrofluoric acid (HF) burns, which were not evident until a day after exposure
File:My hand with minor chemical burns.jpg, alt=hand with minor chemical burns, received from a commercial grade dishwasher, A hand that has received minor chemical burns from a commercial grade dishwasher. Said dishwasher uses caustic chemicals such as high concentration chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between ...
.
See also
*
Acid throwing
References
External links
{{Authority control
Burns
Contact dermatitis
Burn, Chemical
Occupational diseases