I reloaded some 22-250 Remington and 40 S&W. The 22-250 cases had been sitting around for several months and had some stains where they had been touching the box they were stored in.
I shopped various brands of metal polishes today. I was surprised by what I found on the bottom shelf at a local store.
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| The second item is the one of interest. From the MSDS Sheet. |
Hydrofluoric acid
From Wikipedia
In addition to being a highly corrosive liquid, hydrofluoric acid is also a contact poison. It should therefore be handled with extreme care, using protective equipment and safety precautions beyond those used with other mineral acids. Owing to its low acid dissociation constant, HF as a neutral lipid-soluble molecule penetrates tissue more rapidly than typical mineral acids. Because of the ability of hydrofluoric acid to penetrate tissue, poisoning can occur readily through exposure of skin or eyes, or when inhaled or swallowed. Symptoms of exposure to hydrofluoric acid may not be immediately evident, and this can provide false reassurance to victims, causing them to delay medical treatment
Once absorbed into blood through the skin, it reacts with blood calcium and may cause cardiac arrest. Burns with areas larger than 160 cm2 (25 square inches) have the potential to cause serious systemic toxicity... ERJ note: 5 square inches, or less, for a 40 pound two year old. Especially if a sleeve or pant cuff is wet and it stays in contact with the skin.
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| From Wikipedia |
More to the point, HF acid is a precursor to other, more toxic compounds. (Note to readers: a search on this topic is likely to trigger an NSA flag that bumps you to a no-fly list.)
Why is this stuff still on shelves where toddlers or kids could spill it on themselves or drink it, where the GDP can buy it and misuse it.
You are right ERJ. 1.5 to 3.5% is enough to do a lot of damage.
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