Hydrochloric Acid and Skin

If exposure to hydrochloric acid has occurred, then immediate action must be taken. The first step is to clean the affected area and remove the chemical completely from your skin with running water, and removing any clothes that may be contaminated. If you suffered serious skin contact, then use an antibacterial cream and disinfectant soap when washing. Once the area has been washed thoroughly (suggested wash time is around 15 minutes), apply a sterilized cloth to the area and seek immediate medical attention.

Symptoms you may have when skin is exposed to hydrochloric acid include:

• Pain

• Blisters

• Burns

Whilst there are both concentrated and diluted forms of hydrochloric acid, and the diluted form is arguably safer and likely to cause less problems if contact occurs and the correct procedures (as detailed above) are carried out, exposure to any form can still be extremely dangerous and taken very seriously.

In concentrated forms, hydrochloric acid can release a dangerous acidic mist that can cause severe problems if inhaled.

What Others Say:

he term diluted has no set value, and can vary in the percentage the stock acid has been diluted. There are some diluted varieties that have caused no skin irritation after contact was made (when washing the area thoroughly within 30 seconds of the incident). In my practical experience 2M (about 7%) dilution is generally safe. That's not to say that a more prolonged exposure would not return more troubling results.

Some points to consider:

• You may have heard somewhere that in the case of hydrochloric acid spill, use sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the acid before proceeding to carefully wipe it up with a sponge or paper towel. However, the truth is the chemical reaction with acid neutralizers is often exothermic, meaning that they release heat. This would not be wise to add to an already burning sensation caused by getting hydrochloric acid on skin.

• Swimming pools contain chlorine, which can cause skin irritation. They should be avoided as this will likely hinder your healing process.

Eye contact

This type of exposure should be treated the same as getting hydrochloric acid on skin, wash your eyes with clean water (do not use antibacterial cream or disinfectant soap on the eyes), then seek immediate medical attention.

Ingestion

If you accidentally swallow hydrochloric acid, act quickly and seek medical attention urgently.

Inhalation

If you inhale the acidic mist, quickly gain access to clean air before seeking urgent medical attention.

What About Hydrochloric Poisoning?

Symptoms indicating that you have been subjected to hydrochloric poisoning include:

• Choking

• Chest tightness

• Severe pain in the chest, abdominal, mouth and/or throat

• Breathing problems

• Vomiting blood

• Weakness

• Dizziness

As mentioned, one should seek immediate medical attention if they get hydrochloric acid on skin, in their eyes, ingested or inhaled. If possible, collect important information that will be useful to the medical professional, such as what product was the patient exposed to, how severe was the exposure, how and when the exposure occurred, as well as the patients condition (alert or unresponsive), weight and age. That being said, never delay seeking medical attention if the information stated above isn't immediately available to you.