A variety of chemicals used in industrial research and development are highly toxic and can even be fatal when the appropriate procedures are not followed, so laboratories should establish standard operating procedures and enhance training to prevent exposure to toxic chemicals, a toxicologist said yesterday.
Taipei Veterans General Hospital division of clinical toxicology and occupational medicine director Yang Chen-chang (楊振昌) said a woman surnamed Chang (張), who was a graduate student in a master’s program, accidentally spilled a few drops of 50 percent hydrofluoric acid on her left leg and foot when she was using the chemical to clean a metallic substrate in the laboratory. The acid burned through her pants and shoes, damaging her skin.
Chang’s skin became red and swollen, and she developed blisters and cramps, but did not feel any pain after seeking treatment at the hospital’s emergency room.
She was treated with sulfadiazine cream and was transferred to the outpatient service a few days later for follow-up treatment.
“Colloquially called ‘corpse dissolving liquid,’ hydrofluoric acid has no color and is classified as a weak acid, but it has a unique ability to readily penetrate the skin,” Yang said.
“It contains fluoride that penetrates the skin and forms insoluble salts with calcium and magnesium in the body, causing low blood calcium [hypocalcemia] and magnesium [hypomagnesemia] levels,” he said. “In addition to corrosive burns to the skin, it can also lead to cardiac arrhythmia, respiratory problems and even sudden death.”
Yang said people feel immediate pain if exposed to high concentrations of hydrofluoric acid and usually seek treatment immediately, but delaying treatment can cause serious harm to the body, even causing death.
Because the symptoms caused by exposure to low concentrations of the acid are often delayed by several hours to a day, some people do not get treatment in time, which can result in serious damage, he added.
Yang said there are about 20 to 30 cases of harm caused by hydrofluoric acid each year, about 500 cases in the past 20 years. Cases of exposure to other toxic chemicals, such as mercuric chloride, in the work or research environment have also been reported.
Many laboratories lack the necessary prevention measures and practical experience to deal with chemical injuries, and some researchers might become less aware of the dangers involved due to repeated experiments, but laboratories should be responsible for improving prevention measures, setting safe standard operating procedures and arranging adequate training, he said.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner