The Most Toxic Chemical You've Handled

[Eireronin]

Sodium dichromate, chemistry class, weird fact it was banned from schools (pre college) just this year so everyone sitting their Leaving Certificate now will be the last ever L.C. to use it.

 

[minarri]

The most dangerous substance I've had free reign over is mercury. My junior year of high school I did an experiment for my AP Chem class about the vapor pressure of the stuff, and I shudder to recall how many fumes I inhaled during that time.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Hydrochloric acid (75%), if we're talking about chemicals as 'liquids.'

If we're talking about scientific definitions... Uranium.

 

[minarri]

I think the chem students win.

I've handled industrial cleanser that will eat the skin off your hands.

That comment, coupled with your user icon, made me laugh. I suppose that means I'm a bad person.

Seriously though cleansers can be nasty, and industrial-strength anything isn't anything to shake a stick at is it?

 

[lacktheknack]

I found out later that a reusable grocery bag I had filled for a customer (I used to work as a bagboy) had drugs in it, possibly methamphetamine.

So, if that was the case, that.

 

[Tukadian]

25mm cannon gun grease for the LAV3. I would give you the chemical name for it but we don't know it, it's not on the can anywhere. All we know is that it's carcinegenic, and you really ought to wear gloves when smearing it onto the moving parts of the cannon. Of course I found this out much after I smeared it on barehanded, covered myself almost up to my elbows in it, lightly washed my hands and had a sandwich...

 

[SlayerN]

Most Deadly: Cyanide
Most Volatile: A mix of chemicals from a glue making process(high end industrial polymer runoff)
Most Fun: Dry ice (if it counts)

 

[nitro27]

Don't really keep track of toxic per se, but two things, aqua regia and chlorine gas.

 

[hypermage]

It'd probably be the Ferric Chloride I've handled whenever I did PCB etching. My hands ended up scaly and lizard like for half a week one time, when I didn't realise my old gloves had gotten leaky.

 

[PleasantAsAHeadcrab]

Anthrax.

I don't know why someone trusted me with anthrax either.

 

[Byere]

That would probably be my ex... She was pretty f*cking toxic to anything with a penis... the *****...

More seriously, school chemistry lab grade hydrochloric acid. I was terrible at all the sciences at school and haven't dealt with chemicals since... unless you count cleaning fluids that are kept under the average household sink...

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

Lead and mercury.

Hydrochloric acid (75%), if we're talking about chemicals as 'liquids.'

I think the highest I've had was 50%.

 

[Ren3004]

Ammonia; several kinds of acid. Chemistry was fun.

 

[Kargathia]

As I never really did chemistry....

Good ol' moonshine.

 

[GLo Jones]

Potassium cyanide for me. My uncle used to work at a jewellers, and they had it to clean or buff the gold of something. Either way, I've handled it in little measured sachets, and I'm pretty sure only like a gram of the stuff can kill you in minutes.

 

[VelinDraconin]

I'd have to say it's a toss up between 90 Mol hydrofluoric acid or Bromoform. Personally the Bromoform scares me more than the acid.

 

[Kingshadow6]

Most toxic is probably Hydrochloric Acid, but most lethal is definitely Liquid Nitrogen. We used it for an overclocking session, got the whole thing for free because we said it was for a "student project". It came plugged with an honest to god sock and we had to pour it using a plastic and metal coffee mug, holding it with a single skiing glove (we couldn't find the other). It was a good day.

 

[Johnny Impact]

I think the chem students win.

I've handled industrial cleanser that will eat the skin off your hands.

That comment, coupled with your user icon, made me laugh. I suppose that means I'm a bad person.

Seriously though cleansers can be nasty, and industrial-strength anything isn't anything to shake a stick at is it?

"Eat" is too strong a word for the stuff I've used. More like "gnaw in a slow, desultory fashion." It would kill you or make you real sick if you drank it -- a coworker went temporarily blind and had slight permanent eye damage after a splash got on her -- but it's designed to leave tile floors relatively unscathed.

Now that I think about it, I've also used liquid nitrogen, mercury, sulfuric acid, insecticide, and a cabinet full of lesser stuff. ....How toxic is the thermal-conductive gel you put between processors and heat sinks? What about superglue and spray primer? I must admit I don't know the exact relative toxicity of most substances. I just look to see if the warning on the bottle is in the shape of a child (mild: don't feed to Junior), an exclamation point (moderate: don't feed to anyone), or a skull (you're already fuckin' dead.)

 

[similar.squirrel]

Hydrochloric acid. It was quite dilute, though.
I'd be happy to never attend a chemistry lab session again. Alas, even ecology calls for it.