Bedlasky
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Sulfur dioxide
Hi.
I destroyed some metal peroxides (SrO2, CaO2 and ZnO2) with HCl and sodium metabisulfite today. But I added too much metabisulfite and I breathed some
SO2 escaping from solution. This was happen to me thousand times before, but this was different. This was first time when I coughed after breathing
it. For a short time, but I have few minutes irritated upper respiratory tract. I immidietly opened all windows and breath fresh air. Now I feel fine,
maybe a slight headache will come. But I read about some later consequences from SO2 breathing - asthma, bronchitis, pulmonary edema. Is possible that
I'll have one of this problems or not?
[Edited on 7-2-2020 by Bedlasky]
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DavidJR
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I don't think it'll do anything serious after a small exposure. Probably worth making more of an effort to avoid breathing SO2 in the future, though.
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Abromination
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You should be fine. Some people are effected worse then others, me being one of them.
I had an indecent a while ago when the stopcock of my addition funnel stuck open pouring most of the HCl into the flask of metabisulfate, causing the
joints to shoot off. I inhaled a massive cloud of the SO2 and felt the effects for around an hour. After that, I was fine.
List of materials made by ScienceMadness.org users:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nmJ8uq-h4IkXPxD5svnT...
--------------------------------
Elements Collected: H, Li, B, C, N, O, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, I, Au, Pb, Bi, Am
Last Acquired: B
Next: Na
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Swinfi2
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Could your difference in experience be related to the HCl? I would be worried about metal peroxides oxidizing chloride to chlorine or if this is not
possible or significant any effervescence from sodium metabisulphite could also cause the acid to mist up into the air causing greater irritation?
Just my speculation, anyone else have experience of similar?
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Abromination
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Quote: Originally posted by Swinfi2  | Could your difference in experience be related to the HCl? I would be worried about metal peroxides oxidizing chloride to chlorine or if this is not
possible or significant any effervescence from sodium metabisulphite could also cause the acid to mist up into the air causing greater irritation?
Just my speculation, anyone else have experience of similar? |
Most definitely not. The acid itself was not the problem, it was at an azeotropic concentration (about 20%). The amount of chlorine it would take
would have to be visible. Also chloride to chlorine is a reduction and it would take quite a bit of a metal oxide to cause this. Besides, any metal
oxides that could possibly be contaminating my metabisulfite would not be capable of such a reduction.
Sulfur dioxide is known to cause very different reactions towards different people. I know people who aren’t particularly bothered by it. People
with asthma generally react much worse, but some without asthma (like myself) still can react poorly. Besides, with the amount that was released it
probably wouldn't have mattered either way.
List of materials made by ScienceMadness.org users:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nmJ8uq-h4IkXPxD5svnT...
--------------------------------
Elements Collected: H, Li, B, C, N, O, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, I, Au, Pb, Bi, Am
Last Acquired: B
Next: Na
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woelen
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I indeed would not worry too much. If you just had adverse effects for a few minutes, then there is not done much harm.
Next time, be more careful, and try avoiding breathing a lot of it again.
SO2 is not extremely toxic, but some people can have an allergic reaction to it, and for such people it is more dangerous.
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Bedlasky
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Thank you all for answers.
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