A chemical burn occurs when living tissue is exposed to a
corrosive substance
A corrosive substance is one that will damage or destroy other substances with which it comes into contact by means of a chemical reaction.
Etymology
The word ''corrosive'' is derived from the Latin verb ''corrodere'', which means ''to gnaw'', ...
(such as a strong
acid,
base or
oxidizer
An oxidizing agent (also known as an oxidant, oxidizer, electron recipient, or electron acceptor) is a substance in a redox chemical reaction that gains or " accepts"/"receives" an electron from a (called the , , or ). In other words, an oxid ...
) or a
cytotoxic agent
Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Examples of toxic agents are an immune cell or some types of venom, e.g. from the puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') or brown recluse spider (''Loxosceles reclusa'').
Cell physiology
Treating cell ...
(such as
mustard gas,
lewisite or
arsine
Arsine (IUPAC name: arsane) is an inorganic compound with the formula As H3. This flammable, pyrophoric, and highly toxic pnictogen hydride gas is one of the simplest compounds of arsenic. Despite its lethality, it finds some applications in ...
). Chemical burns follow standard
burn
A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur ma ...
classification and may cause extensive tissue damage. The main types of irritant and/or corrosive products are: acids, bases,
oxidizers / reducing agents,
solvent
A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...
s, and
alkylants. Additionally, chemical burns can be caused by some types of cytotoxic
chemical weapon
A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as a ...
s, e.g.,
vesicants such as
mustard gas and
Lewisite, or
urticant
Nettle agents (named after stinging nettles) or urticants are a variety of chemical warfare agents that produce corrosive skin and tissue injury upon contact, resulting in erythema, urticaria, intense itching, and a hive-like rash.
Most nettle a ...
s such as
phosgene oxime.
Chemical burns may:
* need no source of heat
* occur immediately on contact
* not be immediately evident or noticeable
* be extremely painful
* diffuse into tissue and damage cellular structures under skin without immediately apparent damage to skin surface
Presentation
The exact symptoms of a chemical burn depend on the chemical involved. Symptoms include itching,
bleaching
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
or darkening of skin, burning sensations,
trouble breathing, coughing blood and/or
tissue necrosis
Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of Cell (biology), cells in living Tissue (biology), tissue by Autolysis (biology), autolysis. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infec ...
. Common sources of chemical burns include
sulfuric acid (H
2SO
4),
hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid
Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbol ...
(HCl),
sodium hydroxide (NaOH),
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
(CaO),
silver nitrate
Silver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula . It is a versatile precursor to many other silver compounds, such as those used in photography. It is far less sensitive to light than the halides. It was once called ''lunar causti ...
(AgNO
3), and
hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3%� ...
(H
2O
2). Effects depend on the substance; hydrogen peroxide removes a bleached layer of skin, while nitric acid causes a characteristic color change to yellow in the skin, and silver nitrate produces noticeable black stains. Chemical burns may occur through direct contact on body surfaces, including skin and eyes, via inhalation, and/or by ingestion. Substances that diffuse efficiently in human tissue, e.g.,
hydrofluoric acid,
sulfur mustard, and
dimethyl sulfate, may not react immediately, but instead produce the burns and inflammation hours after the contact. Chemical
fabrication,
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...
,
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
, and related professional fields are examples of occupations where chemical burns may occur. Hydrofluoric acid
leaches into the bloodstream, reacts with calcium and magnesium, and the resulting salts can cause
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and poss ...
after eating through skin.
Prevention
In Belgium, the Conseil Supérieur de la Santé gives a scientific advisory report on public health policy. The Superior Health Council of Belgium provides an overview of products that are authorized in Belgium for consumer use and that contain caustic substances, as well as of the risks linked to exposure to these products. This report aims at suggesting protection measures for the consumers, and formulates recommendations that apply to the different stages of the chain, which begins with the formulation of the product, followed by its regulation, marketing, application, post-application and ends with its monitoring.
Gallery
File:Blister-arm.jpg, Chemical burns to the arm, caused by a blister agent e.g. mustard gas
File:Mustard gas chemical burns on combat soldier of the First World War in France about 1918.jpg, Soldier with severe mustard gas burns to back and arms, circa 1918. These burns are severe enough to be life-threatening.
File:MustardGasBurns2.JPG, Soldier with mustard gas burns, circa 1918
File:Blister roundup.jpg, Severe skin burns with blisters are very rare, but possible.
File:HF burned hands.jpg, Hydrofluoric acid (HF) burns, which were not evident until a day after exposure
See also
*
Acid throwing
An acid attack, also called acid throwing, vitriol attack, or vitriolage, is a form of violent assault involving the act of throwing acid or a similarly corrosive substance onto the body of another "with the intention to disfigure, maim, to ...
References
External links
{{Authority control
Burns
Contact dermatitis
Burn, Chemical
Occupational diseases