Side Effects of Hydrogen Fluoride

Hydrogen fluoride is actually a colorless gas. It ceases to exist when mixed with water when it becomes hydrofluoric acid. There are many industries which use hydrogen fluoride. It is part of the production of herbicides, pharmaceuticals, high-octane gasoline, aluminum, fluorescent light bulbs, refrigerants like Freon and plastics, particularly Teflon. However, its primary use is for refrigerants. You also use it for etching glass and metal. It does have a strong odor when there is a heavy concentration of the gas in the air, so there is adequate warning if there is potential toxicity to humans.

Identification

Hydrogen fluoride goes by many different names. Some of the names include fluoric acid, hydrofluoric acid, hydrofluoride and fluorine monohydride. Regardless of the name, the formula is HF and it is the principle source of fluorine in industrial use. In gaseous form, it is lighter than air but when mixed with water becomes extremely corrosive.

Significance

If you have a minor exposure to the vapor of hydrogen fluoride and can't tell it from the smell, you aren't in very much danger. Those that come into physical contact with the clothing or skin contaminated with the substance have a potential for harm. It penetrates the skin and goes into the deep tissue where the effects don't show up immediately.

Size

You receive burns from the hydrofluoric acid once the hydrogen fluoride dissolves in water. Even though you might only have a small area affected, it isn't indicative of the damage it causes to the body. No one can predict the amount of systemic damage caused by the size of the burn.

Effects

Inhaling concentrated quantities of hydrogen fluoride causes throat irritation and irritation of the lungs and nasal passages. Since children have larger lung surface area compared to their body mass, they might receive a more toxic dose. When esophageal irritation occurs in children, they have a smaller diameter airway opening to cause even more distress. If contact is through the skin via the water solution of hydrofluoric acid, it causes systemic toxicity and local destruction of the cells. The gas is also irritating to the skin and eyes. Any hydrofluoric acid ingested has the potential to be fatal. Children are more susceptible because of their smaller body mass.

Long-term Effects

If you have a burn from hydrogen fluoride that is as small as 2.5 percent of the body surface, it can cause death, the ultimate in long-term effects. Most people don't realize that in order to neutralize the acid, not only does removal of the clothing and continuous aggressive flushing with water need to be done, but also an application of calcium gluconate gel and immediate intravenous calcium is required. Otherwise, the fluoride ion goes into the body causing either death or long-term damage to the tissues, indicating a system shut down or amputation of limbs to stop it from spreading.

Fluoride Poisoning

Many of the byproducts from industries that use hydrogen fluoride create too much fluoride in water supplies and the soil. This results in fluoridosis, which causes mottled teeth, severe damage to bones and damage to the brain. Even in smaller doses, fluoride can cause illness and toxicity. If you read the label on your toothpaste tube, you'll notice that if too much is swallowed you need to consult the poison control center.