is there such a thing as phosphoric acid poisoning?

Question

what are the results (PH acid is used in most soft drinks)

Answer 1

A couple of things:

1. There is such a thing as phosphoric acid poisoning

2. The phosphoric acid in soft drinks is essentially completely safe. It is a very small amount. Phosphates were part of the original formulations for soft drinks, consisting of filtered fruit extracts in carbonated water purchased at drug store counters, because they clarified the liquids and generally made them taste better than straight soda water with fruit squeezings. It is funny because non-carbonated phosphate solutions taste worse than soda water.

3. The pH of most sodas is about 6 or a little less, due to the pKa of the carbonic acid -- the dissolved carbon dioxide -- and the phosphoric and citric acids that may be included in the ingredients but in relatively small amounts.

4. Drinking a large amount of phosphoric acid, with a first pKa of about 2, which is less than the stomach pH of 4, is dangerous. First, there would be the general protein denaturation effect of the low pH. Second, recovery of calcium and magnesium, essental ions, by the kidney is highly dependent on phosphate. Way too much phosphate shifts the physiology in the opposite direction and the kidney will excrete the calcium, the magnesium and the phosphate to get rid of it. The acidity will also cause the kidneys to first excrete as much sodium as possible, due to sodium-proton exchange, and then to fail as they try to exchange out the protons for sodium that is no longer there. That is acute kidney failure. The phosphoric acid will also dissolve calcified tissues, including the teeth and bones.

Answer 2

Sure, anything is toxic at high enough levels, even pure O2 is toxic if that is all that you breathe. If you are talking about - can you die from drinking too much soda because of the phosphoric acid, the answer is no, because most of what you are getting is water, and that will be what kills you.

Phosphoric acid can come in solutions that are 95% phosphoric acid, the LD50 for phosphoric acid is Oral rat LD50: 1530 mg/kg

Check out the MSDS sheet for phosphoric acid - it has a lot of info that you may find useful

Answer 3

Not at the concentrations used in soft drinks. Such poisoning would be typical of acids, burns to the ingestion system tissue.

Answer 4

Anything and everything has a toxicity level. A lady died just this year from water poisoning.