why is sodium hydroxide dangerous?

Answer 1

Solid sodium hydroxide or solutions containing high concentrations of sodium hydroxide may cause chemical burns, permanent injury or scarring, and blindness.

Solvation of sodium hydroxide is highly exothermic, and the resulting heat may cause heat burns or ignite flammables.

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. Forming a strongly alkaline solution when dissolved in a solvent such as water, caustic soda is widely used in many industries, mostly as a strong chemical base in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents. Worldwide production in 1998 was around 45 million tonnes. Sodium hydroxide is also the most common base used in chemical laboratories, and it also widely used as a drain cleaner.

Answer 2

Your skin has a lot of fats and proteins.
Sodium hydroxide will try to turn these compounds into soap. (The chemical term is called hydrolysis and /or saponification.)This is why when you handle a small amount of sodium hydroxide solution it feels soapy... IT IS REACTING WITH YOUR SKIN!!!
The same types of reaction will occur if you swallow it.
Besides dissolving your skin, a large amount of heat is also produced, this causes burns to the skin as well.
IF you get any on your skin, flush it with vasts amount of cold water.

Answer 3

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RE:
why is sodium hydroxide dangerous?

Answer 4

Sodium hydroxide is a very strong base, and can cause chemical burns.

Answer 5

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It depends on the concentration of your substances. The solid form of the hydroxides is less dangerous, because the hydroxide is tied up in the molecules and is not available for reaction with your skin. However, either of them in a solution, they are very dangerous because they chemically attach to organic matter and are hard to wash off. Sulfuric acid is also very dangerous, it is in a liquid form all the time. It can be very concentrated even to the extent that it contains dissolved SO2 (called fuming sulfuric acid). It is used for breaking down organic matter because it absorbs the water and then goes to work on what is left. It is easier to wash off than hydroxides, but it may not matter because it will attack anything organic. So the answer is.....the concentration of the chemicals will determine how dangerous they are, but you cannot use any less care for any of them due to some sort of perception of "less danger".

Answer 6

the fact is that all the three are equally dangerous. don't believe? try putting them on your skin. joking apart, sulphuric acid is the most dangerous, mainly because of its dehydrating power. it has a double whammy- it can dehydrate, that too releasing such intense heat that the proteins which make up your skin get denatured and turn into smelly painful burns. my advice-stay careful, if not away, when some corrosive stuff is near you. that includes any acid, apart from weak acetic, citric and carbonic acid.

Answer 7

It is lye. There is a lot of fatty substance in the human body. Lye reacts with this to form soap. The ions remain around and keep damaging whatever tissue they come in contact with.
This is the main ingredient in Drano.

Answer 8

It is a strong alkaline & it attracts H atoms from whatever substance it reacts with, including you fatty tissue!

Answer 9

You should probably take a look at this web site. It lists several of the many, many products that contain this dangerous chemical. It's surprising how many are skin products.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/report.php?type=INGREDIENT&id=506

Answer 10

According to this link, yes it is, and it explains why

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/MHMI/mmg178.html