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Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: caroline milne on 15/12/2008 11:12:44

Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: caroline milne on 15/12/2008 11:12:44
caroline milne asked the Naked Scientists:

Dear Sirs
 
Could you please tell me if a small amount of nitric acid split from a test bottle and soaked in water immediately would have any effect on you if inhaled? I know if heated can be poisonous.
 
Thank you in anticipation
 
Caroline Milne

What do you think?
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: dentstudent on 15/12/2008 11:20:09
I hope that Caroline is still around when someone posts an answer!
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: lightarrow on 15/12/2008 13:27:55
Quote from: caroline milne on 15/12/2008 11:12:44
caroline milne asked the Naked Scientists:

Dear Sirs
 
Could you please tell me if a small amount of nitric acid split from a test bottle and soaked in water immediately would have any effect on you if inhaled? I know if heated can be poisonous.
 
Thank you in anticipation
 
Caroline Milne

What do you think?
You hadn't enough time to inhale an amount big enough to make you harm (unless the one who's writing you in this moment is just a ghost, already died tens of times...(am I dead or alive? [???]))
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: johnson039 on 22/12/2008 11:39:04
does inhaling NO2 nitrogen dioxide gas counted as inhaling nitric acid? as the NO2 will dissolve in water in your trachea and lungs, so i suppose it count.
so, i hv breathed in the NO2 gas in a school experiment about putting a piece of copper into concentrated nitric acid, after the redox, NO2 gas release. I just kinda stupid and stand there and inhale the toxic brown gas . .
But it didn't kill me(that's why i can post here -_-) i felt kinda faint at that time, but i won't kill, not if you breathe in a large amount
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: lightarrow on 22/12/2008 14:19:55
Quote from: johnson039 on 22/12/2008 11:39:04
does inhaling NO2 nitrogen dioxide gas counted as inhaling nitric acid? as the NO2 will dissolve in water in your trachea and lungs, so i suppose it count.
so, i hv breathed in the NO2 gas in a school experiment about putting a piece of copper into concentrated nitric acid, after the redox, NO2 gas release. I just kinda stupid and stand there and inhale the toxic brown gas . .
But it didn't kill me(that's why i can post here -_-) i felt kinda faint at that time, but i won't kill, not if you breathe in a large amount
Don't worry! You have your daily dose of NO2 every time a diesel car passes close to you...
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: johnson039 on 24/12/2008 06:58:07
ya that's true, but i really saw those bright brown gas come out!
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: lightarrow on 24/12/2008 14:14:06
Quote from: johnson039 on 24/12/2008 06:58:07
ya that's true, but i really saw those bright brown gas come out!
I know, but its colour depends strongly on its concentration, so if it dilutes a little, becoming colourless, the concentration in air doesn't vary very much; if you noticed, the strenght of the smell you perceive at little distance from the brown gas, is not greater than that of the air on the road after a diesel car has passed. Isnt'it worrying?

Now just a little question: you know CO (carbon monoxide) is toxic, isnt'it? How much do you think NOx are less toxic than CO?
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: johnson039 on 25/12/2008 03:14:57
oo, the toxicity of these gases.., um..
are there any numbers that can compare the toxicity of gases(or toxins)? i really don't know ..
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: Chemistry4me on 25/12/2008 03:17:30
Quote from: johnson039 on 25/12/2008 03:14:57
oo, the toxicity of these gases.., um..
are there any numbers that can compare the toxicity of gases(or toxins)? i really don't know ..
What do you mean?
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: lightarrow on 25/12/2008 18:32:35
Quote from: johnson039 on 25/12/2008 03:14:57
oo, the toxicity of these gases.., um..
are there any numbers that can compare the toxicity of gases(or toxins)? i really don't know ..
Yes, there are many. Much used in work safety is the "TLV": Threshold Limiting Value, which can be "TWA" = Time Weighted Average, or "STEL" = Short Time Extended Limit:

For CO, TLV-TWA = 60 ppm
For NO2, TLV-TWA = 3 ppm

It means that in those conditions and intended in that sense NO2 is 20 times more toxic than CO.
In high concentrations the relative toxicities are probably much different, however those numbers can give you an idea.
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: johnson039 on 26/12/2008 09:47:13
Quote from: lightarrow on 25/12/2008 18:32:35
Quote from: johnson039 on 25/12/2008 03:14:57
oo, the toxicity of these gases.., um..
are there any numbers that can compare the toxicity of gases(or toxins)? i really don't know ..
Yes, there are many. Much used in work safety is the "TLV": Threshold Limiting Value, which can be "TWA" = Time Weighted Average, or "STEL" = Short Time Extended Limit:

For CO, TLV-TWA = 60 ppm
For NO2, TLV-TWA = 3 ppm

It means that in those conditions and intended in that sense NO2 is 20 times more toxic than CO.
In high concentrations the relative toxicities are probably much different, however those numbers can give you an idea.

wow, thx for giving me that information, really hvn't read those before.
btw, wt's the unit 'ppm' stands for?
Title: Is nitric acid harmful when inhaled?
Post by: Chemistry4me on 26/12/2008 11:20:01
ppm = parts per million