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Five common vehicle care products that can be deadly
Posted 10/15/2012 Updated 10/15/2012
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Commentary by Rod Krause
5th Bomb Wing Safety and Occupational Health Manager
10/15/2012 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Below are five common chemicals listed, which can be potentially harmful or fatal under certain circumstances.
Toxic Alcohols
Ethylene glycol (coolant/antifreeze), methanol (washer fluid), and diethylene glycol (brake fluid) can each cause some mild skin irritation, in the form of redness, upon contact with the skin. If ingested, each can be dangerous. First the liver may convert the toxins to dangerous acids that could damage all tissues in the body, with even greater damage to the kidneys, hear, and brain. To be more precise, kidneys may shut down, an irregular heartbeat may develop and the central nervous system could power down resulting in convulsions and or coma. There is even a possibility of blindness.
Hydrocarbons
This includes gasoline, transmission fluids, motor oils, and WD-40. Carburetor and brake cleaners are also hydrocarbons. Much like toxic alcohols, they too are highly irritating to the skin. Hydrocarbons may cause a degreasing reaction with the natural oils in one's skin, leading to intense redness and even mild burns. These also have a similar effect on the body's innards if ingested including burning and irritation to the esophagus, stomach and intestines. Hydrocarbons may also harm the heart, liver, and stomach. One may start coughing and vomiting, allowing the chemicals to come back up and go straight for the lungs, and even a small amount of that could cause serious lung damage. This could place one in the intensive care unit and on a respirator.
Potassium Hydroxide
The next item on the list is rust remover. Exposures even with the smallest amount can severely burn the eyes, skin, mouth, throat, stomach and intestines. I cannot stress enough the use of proper safety equipment to include eye protection while working with Potassium Hydroxides, even if you're working with a common cleaning chemical like Trisodium Phosphate (TSP, E339). Last weekend, while I was working on my 1966 wagon, I came across a large portion of rust that had built up underneath the old headliner. As I started pulling off the old deteriorating material, I was immediately covered in a blanket of small dirt and rust particles. Luckily for me, I was wearing a respirator, goggles, and even ear protection. Within a matter of minutes, I was caked in this film of black rust, which of course had to be completely rinsed out of my clothes before they hit the washing machine.
Battery Acid
Otherwise known as sulfuric acid, battery acid is a highly corrosive strong mineral acid. It is a colorless yet slightly yellow viscous liquid, which is soluble in water at all concentrations. At times it may be dark brown as dyed during industrial production process in order to alert people to its hazards. Its corrosiveness on metals, stones, skin, eyes and flesh or other materials can be mainly ascribed to its strong acidic nature and, if concentrated, strong dehydrating and oxidizing properties. Concentrated sulfuric acid may cause serious damage upon contact as it hydrolyzes proteins and lipids. This leads to chemical burns, but also dehydrates resulting in secondary thermal burn. In the event it comes in contact with a person's eyes, it could very easily cause permanent blindness. When I was in the auto-body repairing business, a mechanic was removing an old battery from a car when it exploded in his face. The end result was the loss of that individual's sight in the left eye. Again, I cannot stress the importance of safety precautions that need to be taken seriously when around batteries.
Methylene Chloride
You'll find this chemical in paint stripper. As with the other chemicals, it can irritate the skin if you manage to get it on you and if ingested it could affect your mouth, throat, stomach, intestines and cause severe burns and bleeding. Once absorbed, it sets its sights and goes right for the liver and heart. The liver converts it to carbon monoxide, and can kill you in exactly the same way as inhaled carbon monoxide from a fire. It shuts down all systems in the body, including the brain.
Plenty of soap and water are reasonable for cleansing the skin when in contact with most of these chemicals, however; virtually all ingestions will require a trip to the emergency room. But there are also some cases where antidotes help neutralize the poisoning. In the event you find a person is unresponsive or not breathing after ingestion, contact 911. If you find an individual conscious and breathing, you can call the California Poison Control System at 1-800-222-1222 and follow their advice. The CPCS is the largest provider of poison-control services in the country. You can also receive weekly texts from CPCS about home safety, product recalls, and more by texting TIPS to 69866, or find them on Facebook and Twitter (@ poisoninfo).
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