The Most Toxic Chemical You've Handled
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EtBr (Ethidium bromide). It's used for colouring DNA / RNA in a gel elektroforesis. Don't know if it's the most toxic i've ever handled. Been working with Hexane alot too and that stuff is not good for your health either. But EtBr is a higly carcinogenic substance so it's bound to be in the top 10.
The most dangerous thing I think I've been exposed to in a lab is alpha, beta and gamma radiation, albeit tiny sources.
Although I do remember one guy who accidentally drank diluted hydrochloric acid. I know it's hard to believe but I actually did. He thought the flask was empty and pretended to drink from it and accidentally drank some HCl.
Although I do remember one guy who accidentally drank diluted hydrochloric acid. I know it's hard to believe but I actually did. He thought the flask was empty and pretended to drink from it and accidentally drank some HCl.
I think formaldehyde and formaldehyde vapors during dissecting or studying things in labs/anatomy classrooms. It smells terribad and makes your eyes burn :< . I also handled radioactive materials, but those were in such tiny amounts that I can't really say that that was dangerous.
Almost all preservatives and some other substances I have used at my study are poisonous or carcinogenic, but it's easily protected against by wearing a labcoat and labgloves.
EDIT: I see people mentioning ethidium bromide.. may have used that as well, can't remember if it's more toxic than formaldehyde though. Both are pretty bad anyhow.
Almost all preservatives and some other substances I have used at my study are poisonous or carcinogenic, but it's easily protected against by wearing a labcoat and labgloves.
EDIT: I see people mentioning ethidium bromide.. may have used that as well, can't remember if it's more toxic than formaldehyde though. Both are pretty bad anyhow.
Well, there was that one rock a couple metres from my face once that was giving off alpha radiation...
Months and months of reading, and this is finally what got me to sign up, lol
I'm a degree level masters chemistry student, and so I've handled loads of toxic chemicals, ranging from highly concentrated acids, all the stuff needed to make TATP (very unstable explosive), numerous petrols, capsaicin, several different flavours of cyanide, benzene and a host of derivatives, I've made paracetamol, liquid nitrogen (not actually toxic, but dangerous due to temperature and nature as an asphyxant), copious quantities of Bromine, fluorine, mercury... the list goes on and on, so many I cant remember the majority
But the one I remember most fondly is hexane, which dissolves oils such as those in your skin... And I accidentally walked out of the lab with a small sample bottle of it and it is sitting on the shelf above this very computer... no doubt slowly killing me
I'm a degree level masters chemistry student, and so I've handled loads of toxic chemicals, ranging from highly concentrated acids, all the stuff needed to make TATP (very unstable explosive), numerous petrols, capsaicin, several different flavours of cyanide, benzene and a host of derivatives, I've made paracetamol, liquid nitrogen (not actually toxic, but dangerous due to temperature and nature as an asphyxant), copious quantities of Bromine, fluorine, mercury... the list goes on and on, so many I cant remember the majority
But the one I remember most fondly is hexane, which dissolves oils such as those in your skin... And I accidentally walked out of the lab with a small sample bottle of it and it is sitting on the shelf above this very computer... no doubt slowly killing me
I've handled a large amount of mercury in chemistry.
Nothing special, besides the eyes goggles, gloves and chemical shower at the ready.
Nothing special, besides the eyes goggles, gloves and chemical shower at the ready.
I had to make S4N4 once. That stuff explodes if its sitting in a vial on a desk and you hit the desk even moderately hard.
I worked with extremely high concentration acids and bases, with liquid nitrogen, with low radiation materials and almost every carcinogenic chemical known.
I worked with extremely high concentration acids and bases, with liquid nitrogen, with low radiation materials and almost every carcinogenic chemical known.
Probably Sunny Delight.
It's an evil "Orange flavour" "drink" containing more sugar and artificial colourings than should be possible
But seriously I have handled a beaker full of mercury with a lump of lead floating in it. Pretty sure the school Physics teacher shouldn't have been doing that.
It's an evil "Orange flavour" "drink" containing more sugar and artificial colourings than should be possible
But seriously I have handled a beaker full of mercury with a lump of lead floating in it. Pretty sure the school Physics teacher shouldn't have been doing that.
High molar hydrochloric acid, though I do think having burning magnesium is a bit of a safety hazard too.
Not really very toxic but the most dangerous was probably hydrochloric acid with a molarity of 6. Luckily I have pretty steady hands.
Approximately 1g of potassium cyanide, which was enough to kill about 7 people. Before you get the wrong idea, I'm a chemistry major, and I was working in the achem/pchem storeroom. We were consolidating the waste of last year's independent project, and one student apparently used KCN as their analyte. It might actually have been my former labparter, who was testing apricot kernels (don't go for the alternative cancer treatment, it will kill you.)...
Other fun stuff I've handled: Concentrated nitric acid (as well as putting said into a sealed container and putting that into a 1000W microwave), NaCH3 (will fuck up your DNA), various arsenic and mercury compounds, sodium hydride (worse than any alkali metal), halogenated organics like chloroform and methylene chloride, really nasty organic solvents like acetonitrile, plenty of heavy metal compounds, bromine, tons of concentrated acids, etc.
Oh, fun trivia: the three most commonly used acids are nitric, sulfuric, and hydrochloric. Each one is nasty in its own right, and I don't just mean burning holes into your clothing. Nitric acid is a very potent oxidizer, and hence is used to make explosives (TNT is made with nitric acid and a little bit of sulfuric acid as a catalyst). A mixture of nitric and sulfuric acid is one of the very few compounds capable of oxidizing gold.
Sulfuric acid is the strongest common mineral acid, and will burn holes into just about anything. Given that it is a diprotic acid, it is commonly used in car batteries in conjunction with lead (Pb->PbSO4+2e-).
Hydrochloric acid is actually a gas, and what you get in bottles is just the maximum amount of it that can be dissolved in water. That of course means that some gas will escape if the bottle is heated above 20-25C, or placed in a low pressure environment. If you get the chance, hold a piece of ph paper next to an open container of HCl to try it out.
Other fun stuff I've handled: Concentrated nitric acid (as well as putting said into a sealed container and putting that into a 1000W microwave), NaCH3 (will fuck up your DNA), various arsenic and mercury compounds, sodium hydride (worse than any alkali metal), halogenated organics like chloroform and methylene chloride, really nasty organic solvents like acetonitrile, plenty of heavy metal compounds, bromine, tons of concentrated acids, etc.
Oh, fun trivia: the three most commonly used acids are nitric, sulfuric, and hydrochloric. Each one is nasty in its own right, and I don't just mean burning holes into your clothing. Nitric acid is a very potent oxidizer, and hence is used to make explosives (TNT is made with nitric acid and a little bit of sulfuric acid as a catalyst). A mixture of nitric and sulfuric acid is one of the very few compounds capable of oxidizing gold.
Sulfuric acid is the strongest common mineral acid, and will burn holes into just about anything. Given that it is a diprotic acid, it is commonly used in car batteries in conjunction with lead (Pb->PbSO4+2e-).
Hydrochloric acid is actually a gas, and what you get in bottles is just the maximum amount of it that can be dissolved in water. That of course means that some gas will escape if the bottle is heated above 20-25C, or placed in a low pressure environment. If you get the chance, hold a piece of ph paper next to an open container of HCl to try it out.
Only 6M! Bah! I've used 18M acids, then diluted them to 9. And the guy working next to me then managed to spill a load all over the floor, which then proceded to dissolve the soles of his trainers. Was amusing that you could see where he had been walking for the rest of the day due to the patterns of burned footprints in the floor.Shock and Awe said:
this is what i can remember:
hydrochloric acid
a highly toxic gas made by adding a acid and something else (it was orange in colour)
mercury
radiative material (Uranium-238 i believe)
in chemistry we did the best test ever
someone mixed up the beakers so we combined hydrochloric acid with.... hydrochloric acid. and then wondered why nothing was happening
hydrochloric acid
a highly toxic gas made by adding a acid and something else (it was orange in colour)
mercury
radiative material (Uranium-238 i believe)
in chemistry we did the best test ever
someone mixed up the beakers so we combined hydrochloric acid with.... hydrochloric acid. and then wondered why nothing was happening
I only ever did physics at school. Never really touched upon chemistry or biology, and I can't remember many chemicals before that. I guess, either rat poison, or ant killer. Paraffin I think comes out on top because I've got that in my mouth once a week (I fire breathe)
Potassium Cyanide or Conc. Nitric, KCN is actually pretty easy to handle.
Worst chemical I had to handle was LiAlH4, especially when another student spilled a load, the supervisor gave me the wrong cleanup agent and the fume hood and my arm went up in flames.
Worst chemical I had to handle was LiAlH4, especially when another student spilled a load, the supervisor gave me the wrong cleanup agent and the fume hood and my arm went up in flames.