subsecret
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Sulfuric Acid and Fluoridated Water
I'm a beginning chemist, and I was wondering if experiments involving concentrated sulfuric acid are dangerous when fluoridated water is used. The
concentration of fluorides in my house water is 0.4 mg/L.
I recently got a bottle of drain-cleaner grade H2SO4, and decided to mess with it. I used very heavy chemical gloves, a thick jacket (I have yet to
receive my lab apron in the mail), and a face shield. I combined the acid with various materials, namely sucrose and solutions of sodium bicarbonate.
If HF was formed, would the hydrofluoric acid be neutralized back to fluorides in time?
Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
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bfesser
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You'll be fine. Any reason you're not using distilled water? By the way, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride#Toxicology"
target="_blank">fluorides</a> <img src="../scipics/_wiki.png" /> can also be toxic.
Useful:
<strong><a href="viewthread.php?tid=14999&page=2#pid290241">Subscript & Superscript</a></strong>
[Edited on 7/9/13 by bfesser]
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subsecret
Hazard to Others
Posts: 424
Registered: 8-6-2013
Location: NW SC, USA
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Mood: Human Sadness - Julian Casablancas & the Voidz
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First of all, thanks for the quick response.
I don't use distilled water in my experiments because the results generally won't be affected. The more complex experiments that I do involve
distillations, so the end result won't be affected.
I'm still pretty perturbed that fluorides are added to people's water supplies. If dental health is the goal, fluoride concentration in toothpaste
should be increased.
Thanks again for the help.
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bfesser
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Too many people are already treated each year after having ingested toxic quantities of fluoride from toothpaste (this especially common with infants
and young children). Also, not everyone brushes their teeth regularly—perhaps some too often. Everyone drinks tap water (before this
bottled craze), and at a predictable rate. Even if you're locked out of the house, there's always the garden hose... 
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