Bedlasky - 14-7-2020 at 15:07
Hi.
I accidentally spill little bit of DCM on my hand today. It quickly evaporated from my skin as usual. But I noticed that some of it is under my
watches. And this small amount of DCM, which was covered by watches, started after few seconds burning like it was some strong acid. I quickly wash it
away and I it stopped. Skin was just red for some time from irritation. But I wonder what happened. Why DCM started burn my skin? Some reaction
between steel from watches and DCM? But watches look untouched. This behavior of DCM really surprised me.
B(a)P - 14-7-2020 at 15:36
DCM definitely irritates the skin on its own. If you get a small splash on you it evaporates too fast to have an effect. When it gets trapped under
your watch or in your clothing and against your skin it has enough contact time to cause irritation.
Whathappensif - 14-7-2020 at 20:18
Yes, and DCM passes through gloves as well so beware, you can experience the same burning if you spill DCM on your gloved hands.
violet sin - 14-7-2020 at 21:20
The skin under rings and watches is often more moist and prone to taking up things. Especially if they are tight and can hold it there. I try to
take them off when working with anything irritating, be it chemistry, gasoline or cement.
Mateo_swe - 17-7-2020 at 14:17
Its a natural reaction of the DCM irritating the skin.
As said before it often evaporates to quickly to make any irritated areas on the skin.
But when you have a watch or similar the DCM under the watch dont evaporate away so quickly because its partially confined between the skin and watch.
And thus it has time enough for the skin to feel the irritating effects.
Some solvents like dimethyl sulfoxide absorbs through the skin and one can taste garlic in the mouth if one gets it on the skin.