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This article was co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA. Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group.
This article has been viewed 33,697 times.
Acids are useful both in a chemistry lab and in real world tasks, like keeping your swimming pool at the right pH. The improper use of acids is very dangerous. Acids are corrosive and may be toxic, and misusing them can result in poisoning, burns, or damage to the respiratory system. You will need to know the safety recommendations for the acid(s) that you use in order to keep yourself and those around you safe.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:
Following Basic Safety Precautions
Wear goggles and gloves. Your hands are the most likely place to be exposed to acid. Your eyes are even more vulnerable to corrosive materials than your skin. There’s no reason to risk it. Wear gloves and goggles at all times.
Obtain a Materials Safety Data Sheet for each acid. The Materials Safety Data Sheet is a reference sheet that contains information on a particular chemical. It will include warnings (corrosive, explosive, flammable, etc.). It will also suggest proper safety techniques for using that particular chemical. This is the ultimate reference for the safe use of any chemical, including acids.Advertisement
Dress appropriately for handling corrosive materials. Acids are corrosive by nature. Some more so than others. You should wear pants, close-toed shoes, and long sleeves if you plan to work with acids. You should also wear a lab apron to prevent acid from getting on your clothing and eating through it.
Leave food and drink out of the lab or workspace. Food and drink can contaminate your experiment. You also run the risk of getting acid in your food or drink if you bring it into the lab. Standard practice in all labs is to leave food and drink outside.[1]
Locate the shower and eyewash before starting. If you are exposed to acid, you will need to rinse it off your skin thoroughly. It is important to work with acid only in a lab, as it will be equipped with both a shower and an eyewash that will allow you to rinse yourself in case of an accident. Never try to neutralize acid on your skin. This can cause more extreme damage.- If acid comes in contact with the eyes, wash the eyes as quickly as possible, as acid can cause serious burns in 15 seconds. Hold the eyelids open, and wash the eyes in an eyewash for fifteen minutes.
- Wash away acid that comes in contact with skin. Remove clothing, then shower for fifteen minutes.
- If acid is ingested, you should drink water and consumable bases such as milk of magnesia. Do not try to dilute with strong bases. Do not induce vomiting.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:
Mixing Acids with Other Chemicals
Dilute the acid in proper glassware. Diluting acid releases a lot of heat. Plastic containers are subject to melting during dilution. Even glass containers may crack, unless you use borosilicate glassware. Pyrex is an example of borosilicate.
Pour acid into base, always. In this instance, water is also considered a base. Pouring acid into water, or another base, allows the heat generated during dilution to be more effectively dispersed. Appropriate dispersion of heat prevents cracking or melting containers and flash boiling, both of which could result in acid ending up on your skin and clothes.- When diluting sulfuric acid, you should do it in an ice bath.
- Test the reaction between an acid and a base on a small scale first. Use a dropper to put a few drops of acid into the base to see if there will be a strong reaction. Then, you can slowly pour the acid into the base.
Use precise amounts of acid. When taking acid from a large container, remove just enough to do the experiment or task. Any excess acid will have to be diluted, neutralized, and disposed of. Less leftover acid will save on costs and make cleanup easier.- Never add chemicals back into the original container. This will introduce contaminants.
Mix acid with instructed chemicals only. If you are doing a specific experiment or task, follow the directions carefully. Find the Materials Safety Data Sheet for all chemicals used in the experiment and be sure that none of them react unpleasantly with acid (e.g., forming toxic gases, exploding, etc.). Never mix acids and bleaching agents.[2]Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 4:
Storing and Transporting Acids
Store acids in an acid cabinet. A non-corrosive acid cabinet is the best place to keep acids. This will help you separate acids from other chemicals. This is an important safety note, as chemicals produce vapors and what’s “in” a container does not necessarily stay there.[3]
Separate oxidizers from flammable and organic materials. Some acids, such as chromic acid, are strong oxidizers. This means that they will react very readily with most organic materials, as well as any strong reducers. These reactions will most likely be violent in nature and result in fire, explosion, etc.[4]
Separate acids from bases, active metals, and gas-evolving compounds. Bases and active metals (such as alkali earth metals) will react violently with acids. These chemicals are nucleophilic (proton deficient), and acids donate protons by definition. You should also keep acids separate from any reagents that will mix with an acid to form toxic gases. Bleach is a perfect example.[5]
Transport acids in a secondary container. Most acids (but not all) are stored in glass containers. You should place those containers in an unbreakable secondary container, such as a plastic crate. This will prevent accidentally shattering the glass and spilling acid.
Take the elevator to move acid from one floor to the next. Shaking and jarring containers of acid could lead to broken containers and/or spills. Using an elevator is much safer than using stairs, however, only the person transporting the acid should be in the elevator. Should there be an accident, fewer people trapped in the elevator is better.
Label all acids. Labeling acids (and all chemicals) is a good way to remember what material is stored in each bottle. Even if you are sure you won’t forget, someone else may come along and mistakenly pick up your bottle. This is an important safety step that should not be ignored.[6]Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 4:
Disposing of Acids
Dilute concentrated acids before attempting to neutralize them. Concentrated acids react violently with bases. By diluting the acid, you will make it easier to neutralize safely. Slowly add the acid to a large volume of water (roughly twenty times the volume of the acid).
Neutralize acids before disposal. Use sodium carbonate to neutralize the acid. For inorganic acids (like chloric acid and nitric acid), the neutralization is complete when the solution no longer bubbles as a result of adding more sodium carbonate. For organic acids (such as citric acid and oleic acid), you will need to check the solution with pH strips to confirm neutralization.[7]
Flush the acids down the sink. You can safely pour the acid down the sink after being neutralized. The best practice is to flush down the drain with 20 times as much water.- For example, if you had 10 milliliters (0.34 fl oz) of solution, you would flush it with 200 milliliters (6.8 fl oz) of water.
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Expert Q&A
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- QuestionWhy dispose of acids in the sink? Couldn't it cause a reaction if not flushed well?
Bess Ruff, MABess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group.
Environmental ScientistNever dispose of an acid directly in the sink as it can cause corrosion of the pipes and react with other chemicals in wastewater. If you follow the protocol of diluting and then neutralizing the acid, then pouring it down the sink will not cause a reaction, though this is recommended only for small volumes of acid. - QuestionWhat if acid comes into contact with my skin?
WikiHowUser20170728202545Community AnswerIf you get acid on your skin, remove any clothing covering the contact area and wash with water for at least 15 minutes. Apply a sterile cloth to the burns - do not rub the burns - and contact a doctor as fast as possible. Contrary to popular belief, putting a base on the acid burns will not help. The reaction will cause a lot of heat, so you'll get heat burns on top of the acid burns, and if you put a little too much on, you'll get base burns on top of that as well.
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Tips
- Ask your instructor, or a chemist, if you have any questions about how to properly handle an acid.Thanks
- Material safety data sheets can be found online.Thanks
- You can test the pH of an acid by using pH indicator strips or other equipment.Thanks
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Warnings
- Never ignore information on the materials safety data sheet.Thanks
- Never get acid on yourself or someone else.Thanks
- Never bring food into an experiment.Thanks
- Never pour a base (or water) into a container of acid.Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/os/D/Chemicals.pdf
- ↑ http://ehs.berkeley.edu/lessons-learned/lesson-learned-accidental-mixing-bleach-and-acid
- ↑ http://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/files/docs/ls/factsheets/SafeStorage_FS7.pdf
- ↑ http://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/files/docs/ls/factsheets/SafeStorage_FS7.pdf
- ↑ http://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/files/docs/ls/factsheets/SafeStorage_FS7.pdf
- ↑ http://ehs.berkeley.edu/lessons-learned/lesson-learned-accidental-mixing-bleach-and-acid
- ↑ http://www.endmemo.com/chem/acidslist.php
About this article
Bess Ruff, MA
Environmental Scientist
This article was co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA. Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group. This article has been viewed 33,697 times.
Co-authors: 16
Updated: November 28, 2022
Views: 33,697
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 33,697 times.
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