Document aJyqK81Ma4EGop2BqJkgV5rXa

Elements of Industrial Toxicology so as to produce anhydrous chloncacid should be prevented It is likely to be spontaneously explosive, as well as highly sensitive to con tact with reducing agents See Hygienic Guide Sodium cyanide is a white, slightly hygro scopic solid with a reaction sufficiently alka line to produce a severe dermatitis when the skin is exposed to its dust or its solutions Cyanide poisoning m industry is not com mon When it does occur, it is usually the result of inhalation of hydrogen cyanide gas, used as a fumigant or produced by contact of one of the metallic cyanides with acid, in cluding carbon dioxide gas and moisture from the atmosphere See Hydrogen cyanide The simple metallic cyanides are all ex tremely toxic if swallowed For sodium cya nide, the lethal dose is about 9 mg per kg of body weight or about 0 019 oz for a man Some authorities state that cyanide can be ab sorbed into the svstem through the skin or through the lesions of the toxic burn which it produces This is not, however, a common method of industrial poisoning Cyanide prevents oxygen exchange be tween the tissues and the blood The symp toms of poisoning are dizziness, headache, a feeling of oppression in the chest, dryness and irritation of the throat, palpitation of the heart, difficult breathing and sometimes vomiting, followed by loss of consciousness and convulsions A lethal dose produces rapid death and therefore can be counter acted only by immediate first aid A most effective single first aid measure for this type of internal asphyxia is the sup plying of oxygen or oxygen-carbon dioxide mixture for breathing The person admin istering first aid should also 1 Send for a doctor at once 2 Remove the victim to fresh air, without exposing the rescuer to poisoning 3 Remove clothing which mav contain hy drogen cyanide and wrap the victim in blankets or otherwise keep him warm 4 If breathing has stopped, apply artificial respiration 5 Supply oxygen or oxygen-carbon dioxide mixture for inhalation 6 Permit inhalation of the contents of an ampule of amyl nitnte, repeat after 15 minutes 7 If the victim has swallowed a cyanide com pound and is conscious, induce vomiting by giving him a large quantity of tepid water containing an emetic Never try to induce vomiting tn an unconscious person First aid supplies, as specified by the phy sician m charge, should be m readiness in all plants where cyanides are used Cyanides should be stored and used so that they will not come into contact with acids or be exposed to the air Where cya nides are used m bulk, men should not be permitted to work alone m an area with an open container The layout should provide for ready re moval of deposits of dust from the structure and equipment Dust and vapor incidental to the process should be removed at the source as completely as possible Local ex haust equipment for this purpose should be designed with special attention to accessi bility for cleaning, since hydrolysis of alkali cyanides leaves a deposit of alkali carbonates which form a sticky, tenacious coating on the equipment Employees who handle cyanides should be provided with protective clothing which will prevent skin contact with the solid or solu tion, and appropriate respirators, either can ister or supplied atmosphere, should be pro vided for emergency use Sodium dichromate -- see Chromic acid Sodium hydroxide--see Potassium hy droxide. Stibme (antimonv hydride) is a toxic gas produced by the generation of hydrogen in the presence of elemental antimony Charg ing of storage batteries of the lead-acid tvpe produces stibine from the antimony which is m the lead grids as a hardening allov This occurs mostlv as the battery is overcharged and in increasing amounts as the battery grows older Stibine is also apt to be formed when water is applied to the dross from aluminum re fining of metals Its presence and effects in this instance are overshadowed by the arsine also produced Relatively little is known about the toxicity 1372