Learning the Dangers and the Appropriate Way of Handling Nitric Acid
Nitric acid is known to be a very dangerous substance. It is highly corrosive, very reactive, poisonous and a strong oxidizer. Needless to say, one should be very well-equipped with the necessary knowledge and gears in order to make use of this acid properly and to avoid very dangerous situations. In fact, strict rules and regulations are being implemented in order to monitor the distribution of the acid in the industrial market. These are meant to lessen the risk of accidents and misuse when dealing with it.
However, amidst this notoriety, nitric acid is a very important component in many industrial processes and production of important products. It is because of this that a lot of companies still manufacture, distribute and produce this substance and a lot of businesses use this highly dangerous acid.
Since the use of the substance is inevitable, granting its contribution to our society, one must be aware of the potential hazards that the acid could cause. It would be sheer irresponsibility to just think about how to buy nitric acid. Any industries that have to do with the substance should be able to see to it that they know the possible dangers that it could cause to human lives. In doing so, they will be able to make a working environment that is safe and has all the precautionary measures to avoid severe damages that nitric acid could possibly cause.
For one, the acid is known to be very corrosive and it could affect a person through inhalation, skin contact and eye contact. Each kind of exposure carries certain dangers to a person’s life. Furthermore, certain processes that the acid undergoes could make it emit vapors, which, when inhaled, could lead to pulmonary edema and pneumonia. It does not take a rocket scientist to know that these conditions are very fatal to a person’s life. Secondly, when the substance gets to the skin, it can cause skin burns, redness and pain. The extent of damage would depend on the quantity of the acid that came into contact with the skin. In fact, acid in its concentrated solution form could cause deep ulcers and yellow or yellow-brown stain to the skin. Lastly, if a person handles the acid without any eye protection, he runs the risk of getting severe and irreversible damage to his eyes.
In knowing these possible accident scenarios, you will be able to create and use preventive measures in any processes that require the use of HNO3. Hopefully, you will be able to avoid accidents from happening and even improve you company’s production. Just always remember that no matter how dangerous something is, everything would still depend on how you use it. And, by knowing the potential dangers nitric acid could cause, you can be more cautious in handling it.