A couple of years ago, the port of Hull, UK, found itself under a cloud of hydrochloric acid. The vapour started leaking from a crack in a storage tank belonging to a treacle trader. No one was hurt, but several people reported feeling unwell. Firefighters worked through the night to contain the cloud with water mist. The vapour it gives off poses a serious health hazard if breathed in. In the s, a truck spilled litres of hydrochloric acid near to homes in Louisiana, causing residents to complain of burning eyes and throats, and flu-like symptoms.
Two years later, they were still suffering lasting effects. Hydrogen chloride vapour can also get into the air when plastic is burned, or after volcanic eruptions.
When Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted in , it released a lot of hydrogen chloride. Why is hydrochloric acid so dangerous? Hydrochloric acid is formed when hydrogen chloride dissolves in water. In this situation, hydrogen chloride, a simple molecule made up of one positively charged hydrogen attached to one negatively charged chlorine, takes little persuading to pull itself apart.
When a strip of magnesium is placed in hydrochloric acid, hydrogen gas is released. The reaction proceeds at a higher rate when more concentrated acid is used. Hydrochloric acid is so strong that it can eat through metal, something you can witness first hand in the school chemistry lab.
Most science students will, at some point, take a strip of magnesium and dunk it into a flask of hydrochloric acid. You can see the reaction taking place — bubbles of hydrogen stream off the surface of the metal, while chlorine pairs with the magnesium to become magnesium chloride.
Something that eats through metal will also eat through skin. Strangely enough, though, we do keep it in our stomachs. Hydrochloric acid is the acidic part of gastric acid, the chemical that our stomachs make to help us digest our food. Gastric acid is produced in cells called parietal cells found in the lining of our stomachs.
To get the hydrogen for making hydrochloric acid, one positively charged hydrogen ion is ripped off each carbonic acid molecule. Parietal cells are chock-full of hydrogen — concentrations are millions of times higher than in nearby blood vessels.
Hydrochloric acid is used as a swimming pool treatment chemical , to help maintain an optimal pH in the water. The food industry uses hydrochloric acid to process a variety of food products, such as corn syrups used in soft drinks, cookies, crackers, ketchup and cereals.
Hydrochloric acid is also used as an acidifier in sauces, vegetable juices and canned goods, to help enhance flavor and reduce spoilage.
When hydrochloric acid is mixed or reacted with limestone, it produces calcium chloride, a type of salt used to de-ice roads.
Calcium chloride also has uses in food production as a stabilizer and firming agent, for example in baked goods , as well as uses as an antimicrobial. Hydrochloric acid is used in the production of batteries, photoflash bulbs and fireworks. It is also used in leather processing, building and construction, oil well acidizing and producing gelatin products.
Hydrochloric acid in its concentrated, liquid form has a strong irritating odor and is very corrosive. It can cause damage, such as chemical burns, upon contact, according to the U. National Library of Medicine. The U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC notes that hydrochloric acid can cause eye damage, even blindness, if splashed in the eyes.
Ingestion of concentrated hydrochloric acid can cause severe injury to the mouth, throat, esophagus and stomach. Personal protective equipment PPE such as vapor respirators, rubber gloves, splash goggles and face shields should be used when handling hydrochloric acid. If used in the workplace, it is recommended that an eye flush station be available in case of accidental exposure. When using pool cleaners that contain hydrochloric acid also known as muriatic acid , it is important to follow directions on the product label for safe handling.
The CDC has developed two posters with recommendations for pool chemical safety handling as well as storage of pool chemicals for pool owners and operators. Metal containers are not suitable storage containers for hydrochloric acid due to its corrosive nature.
Plastic containers, such as those made of PVC , can typically be used to store hydrochloric acid. The food industry uses hydrochloric acid to process a variety of food products. Food and Drug Administration. Hydrochloric acid is generally recognized as safe when used as a buffer and neutralizing agent.
Hydrochloric acid is used to adjust the pH of swimming pool water. Chlorine levels in pool water is dependent on the pH of the water, which can be optimized with chemicals such as hydrochloric acid. Chronic exposure to hydrochloric acid can be dangerous. Occupational exposure can occur in industrial environments by inhalation or skin contact during the production and use of hydrochloric acid.
Long-term exposure has been reported to cause chronic bronchitis, dermatitis and photosensitization in humans.
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