RSedlak wrote:
>
> Okay, I am seriously crazed by any sort of implications that I have suggested
> any procedure that was potentially very dangerous.
>
> And I want to get some serious chemistry understanding going on here.
>
> The bottom line is that "flouride" by itself, while no pussy cat, is not
> crazily dangerous.  However, CONCENTRATED HF is.   Note the casual reference
> to the term CONCENTRATED.
>
> Specifically, as pH goes down, Flouride goes from the ionized salt to the
> protonated form, HF.  Even this, by itself is no more dangerous than HCl,
> Hydrochloric Acid, which is sold as toilet cleaner, in every grocery store.
>

I don't think so.  HF is a lot more dangerous than HCl.  Bev's description
of the toxicology of HF exposure to skin is pretty accurate.  I've worked
with a lot of concentrated acids, and HF is by far the scariest.  I think
Bev and I have a serious understanding of the chemistry.

Any acidic solution containing F- is dangerous and can cause burns,
that may not seem so bad at first.  The problem is that the burns don't
heal, they get worse with time and may eventually attact bone.  F-
ties up calcium ions in tissue, and since Ca+ is needed for tissue repair,
the tissue deteriorates.

The medical treatment for F- burns is subcutaneous injections of calcium
salts.

This information can be found in the MSDS for acidic fluoride salts and
good laboratory safety manuals.

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