The Most Toxic Chemical You've Handled
- Thread starter Slenn
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Isn't that just cancerous? From what I've heard it's only dangerous if you actually touch it.Mentally_AFK said:
OT: It's hard to tell what the most toxic chemical I've handled is. Most of what I've handled lately have been of the kind that I need to cover up before moving it so it wont give any effects to me or anyone else in the room. Various forms of bromide have probably been the worst things I've handled, but I am not sure how the things rank.
Hmm, whatever chemical solder flux is made out of. Then there's some fun chemical solvents like PVC primer. None of these are dangerous but all of them fuck with your respiratory system, the primer with your brain too. Though I guess the mercury in an old thermometer is more dangerous than all of these.
For honest danger, HCL drain acid which won't eat through metal but has no problems with skin or meat. Oh, and thermite. Amazing that it's both legal and easy to make, equal volumes aluminum powder and iron oxide powder(rust) mix well, light with magnesium striker, run away and enjoy the fireworks.
For honest danger, HCL drain acid which won't eat through metal but has no problems with skin or meat. Oh, and thermite. Amazing that it's both legal and easy to make, equal volumes aluminum powder and iron oxide powder(rust) mix well, light with magnesium striker, run away and enjoy the fireworks.
Sulphuric acid, arsenic, hydrochloric acid, cyanide. Our chemistry teacher let us handle pretty much anything. Oh, and we had a radiation practical with some interesting radioactive stuff. Don't remember what exactly.
Hydrofluoric acid. If I never had to handle that again, it would be too soon.
Formaldehyde and Chloroform are also pretty nasty.
Formaldehyde and Chloroform are also pretty nasty.
I had once handled a deadly neurotoxin of which my fellow scientists did not approve of. I continued to use said deadly neurotoxin despite their protests which soon subsided after I had applied the deadly neurotoxin to said colleges. The application of deadly neurotoxin in the fields of science is heavily underused as nuerotoxin has a wide variety of applications such as; eliminating competition, removing pesky annoyances, cleaning up gene pools, exterminating unwanted pests, and make a neurotoxin smoothie with quite the kick.
You know, for science.
You know, for science.
It's used to clean concrete or other calcium containing materials off of industrial equipment. Hydrochloric does not do nearly a good enough job.Sapient Pearwood said:
Fun fact: It loves calcium, so you really don't want to make contact with it.
I work for an acid manufacturing plant...so, what don't I handle?
Especially anhydrous ammonia (g)
Also, ethidium bromide - it's unpleasant.
Especially anhydrous ammonia (g)
Also, ethidium bromide - it's unpleasant.
Sulfur Mustard, AKA Mustard Gas. Take your child to work day was fun when I was younger. And didn't know that this
could happen.
HF is nasty stuff. Our lab manager freaks when we use it.Doctor VonSexMachine said:
I'd say the most TOXIC would be Botulinum Toxin Type F (I used to work for a Biopharmaceuticals company). It's basically a high strength neurotoxin and muscle relaxant (Botox is 10,000 times less potent than pure type F)
Also Aqua Regia is always a good one (Boiling Nitric and Sulphuric Acid)
(I'm a PhD Chemist, please don't try to use any of this stuff for FUN, it's not worth it.)
J
I work in the quality control chemistry lab of a pharmaceutical company.
On pretty much a daily basis I get exposed to the following:
Concentrated acids
- hydrochloric
- nitric
- sulphuric (evil!)
- trifluroacetic
Flammable Solvents (we pretty much are high on these all day long)
- absolute ethanol
- methanol
- acetonitrile
- ether (makes you go all dreamy)
- ethyl acetate
- hexane
- propan-2-ol (isopropyl alcohol)
- acetone
- toluene
Harmful chemicals
- chloroform
- dichloromethane
Smelly chemicals
- butylamine
- triethylamine
- hexylamine
- concentrated ammonia
Some of the products we test are dangerous too. There is azathioprine, which is an immunosuppresant, so when you weigh out the standard you have to make sure that you wear gloves and a mask and no one else is nearby. Cue me frantically telling one of my colleagues to "Go awaaaaaaay!" when they came to ask me a question once. It is quite common to get the sniffles after testing azathioprine. We also do warfarin and calcitriol, not too nice.
We also got about 50 boxes of injectable diamorphine ampoules the other week that I had to lock away in the controlled drugs cupboard. Yep, medical, injectable heroin. Yay!
On pretty much a daily basis I get exposed to the following:
Concentrated acids
- hydrochloric
- nitric
- sulphuric (evil!)
- trifluroacetic
Flammable Solvents (we pretty much are high on these all day long)
- absolute ethanol
- methanol
- acetonitrile
- ether (makes you go all dreamy)
- ethyl acetate
- hexane
- propan-2-ol (isopropyl alcohol)
- acetone
- toluene
Harmful chemicals
- chloroform
- dichloromethane
Smelly chemicals
- butylamine
- triethylamine
- hexylamine
- concentrated ammonia
Some of the products we test are dangerous too. There is azathioprine, which is an immunosuppresant, so when you weigh out the standard you have to make sure that you wear gloves and a mask and no one else is nearby. Cue me frantically telling one of my colleagues to "Go awaaaaaaay!" when they came to ask me a question once. It is quite common to get the sniffles after testing azathioprine. We also do warfarin and calcitriol, not too nice.
We also got about 50 boxes of injectable diamorphine ampoules the other week that I had to lock away in the controlled drugs cupboard. Yep, medical, injectable heroin. Yay!