 
Sulphuric acid H2SO4 is colourless, odourless, and viscous, with a pH of between 1 and 2. Pure sulphuric acid does not naturally exist because the acid so strongly attracts water vapour. It's a dangerous acid to handle because it is highly corrosive and powerfully dehydrates skin upon contact, causing both acid chemical burns and thermal burns.Its primary use is in the production of fertilizers. It is also used to make detergents, dyes, resins, insecticides, paper, explosives, acetate, batteries, and drugs. Sulphuric acid is also used in water treatment. It's used to make bleaching agents in pulp and paper manufacturing; the resulting odours from hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, and other sulphur compounds is what is responsible for the unpleasant odours characteristic of these industries. Sulphuric acid is the most-produced chemical in the world. It is also used for the production of phosphoric acid, and for removing oxidation from iron and steel, so it is used in large quantities by metal manufacturers. Exposure to sulphuric acid can cause severe burns, permanent damage, and even death. Sulphuric acid is a very dangerous chemical. It is extremely corrosive and toxic. Exposure can occur from inhalation, ingestion, and through skin contact. Inhalation of H2SO4 may cause irritation and/or chemical burns to the respiratory tract, nose, and throat. Inhalation can also be fatal as a result of inflammation, edema of the larynx and bronchi, or pulmonary edema. Chronic inhalation is known to have caused kidney and lung damage, in addition to nosebleeds, erosion of the teeth, chest pain, and bronchitis. The effects of ingesting sulphuric acid orally are just as bad as inhalation. Ingestion may cause systematic toxicity with acidosis, which can be fatal. It can also cause severe permanent damage to the digestive and GI tracts. Prolonged or repeated ingestion is not common because the first ingestion is usually the last. Skin or eye contact with sulphuric acid can be devastating. The burns induced are similar, and often worse, than those caused by hydrochloric acid. What makes sulphuric acid so dangerous is its exothermic reaction with water. When introduced to water or moisture, the solution reacts with the water to create hydronium ions. This reaction releases large amounts of heat to the environment. The reaction is so strong that concentrated sulphuric acid can char paper by itself. Sulphuric acid is a component of acid rain, which is caused by the release of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. Sulphuric acid is the main component of battery acid, which is used in vehicle lead-acid batteries. Sulphuric acid is used in copper refineries for leaching, electrorefining, and electroplating. It's used in the electrolyte solution that purifies copper anodes. The anodes are immersed in the electrolyte, where the copper dissolves and plates onto the cathodes. [See personal note below] Personal Note #1: In my high school chemistry classes, I could do the book work OK. But I could never do an experiment successfully to save my life! In my last year (equivalent to Chem 30) I found myself having to prepare a large beaker of 10% sulphuric acid for an experiment (10% acid and 90% water). For some inexplicable reason, my solution ended up being 10% water and 90% acid. You could see the fumes coming off the beaker! This stuff was dangerous! What could I do but pour it down the lab sink before the teacher noticed! Lab sinks are meant to tolerate a lot of abuse, and are pretty resistant to acid and other chemicals. Unfortunately, they aren't designed to withstand a full beaker of almost full-strength sulphuric acid being poured down them. How was I supposed to know? The ensuing smoke from the melted sink and pipes cleared out the classroom for the rest of the period. The teacher was not impressed. This example may also explain why nothing I cook ever turns out. 
Personal Note #2:After an abortive first year at university where I found myself in the wrong program, I took a year off to work. I found myself working as a general labourer in the copper refinery in Copper Cliff, Ontario. I worked for eight months in the huge tank room, working beside and on top of the electrolyte and copper tanks filled with copper sulphate and sulphuric acid, where copper anodes hung. The fumes permeated the air, and caused your clothing to literally rot away within a week if you didn't wear wool. Whatever lung damage this exposure may have caused I seem to have avoided. [See 'My Fling with Chemistry' for the full awful story about how I ended up in the wrong program at university, and how chemistry helped me escape!] |