10 examples of irritant chemicals
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Researchers are surrounded by dangerous elements, from infectious microbes to cranky advisors. With hazards all around, it’s easy to forget how deadly even common lab chemicals are.
But don’t worry – we’ve compiled a list of common, dangerous chemicals to help you out.
Acetonitrile
Be careful with this flammable irritant. Once this solvent is inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin, it converts to cyanide!
Chloroform
This volatile solvent can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs. It also acts as an anesthetic that depresses the central nervous system. Once inside the body, it converts to highly toxic phosgene, a chemical weapon used during World War I.
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)
DMSO is such an excellent solvent that it crosses healthy, intact skin – and takes whatever is dissolved along with it! Be sure to wear your butyl rubber gloves if you are dissolving large amounts of something toxic (such as the neurotoxic pesticide rotenone) in DMSO.
Formaldehyde
This common fixative is a suspected human carcinogen. Take advantage of the fume hood, because formaldehyde can cause dermatitis, sinusitis, and asthma! And don’t buffer formaldehyde with hydrochloric acid, because together they form a potent carcinogen, bis-chloromethyl ether.
2-Mercaptoethanol
As if the rotten-fish smell wasn’t bad enough, 2-mercaptoethanol is a combustible corrosive. It can harm the skin and the mucous membranes, and cause larynx spasms, pneumonitis, and pulmonary edema when inhaled.
Methanol
Like other volatile solvents, methanol can easily enter the body through the lungs, gut, or skin. Once inside, methanol transforms to formic acid, which causes metabolic acidosis and blinding retinal toxicity.
Sodium Azide
This popular preservative is an extremely toxic skin irritant that can cause headaches, dangerously low blood pressure, and even heart failure. Sadly, its toxicity and ready availability in labs have made it a method of suicide for researchers