- Formic acid: Caution - Danger!
- Role in the body
Role in the body
Formic acid or methane - it's just monobasic carboxylic acid, which plays a major role in the intermediate metabolism
Metabolism: The basis of life of all living things
animals, plants and microorganisms. During metabolism in the animal body carbon formic acid is used for the synthesis of purine bases of nucleic acids, porphyrins, methionine, choline and other biologically active substances. Exchange of formic acid are closely associated with the exchange of folic acid.
Formic acid is widely distributed in nature. In free form, it is found in the urine and sweat of animals, corrosive secretions
Discharges in women when there is cause for concern
bees and ants, in the leaves of nettles, in the needles of spruce and in fruits.
Where applicable formic acid
The biochemical laboratories formic acid is used in the chromatographic analysis of mixtures of various substances (as a solvent). Formic acid is used as a preservative (antimicrobial agent) in the food industry for the washing of containers for harvesting fodder (it suspends the processes of decay). Formic acid is also used in the textile (for dyeing wool), leather (tanning of the skin), perfume (solvent) industry as well as in apiculture (to destroy various parasites).
Formic acid as an occupational hazard
With continued use of formic acid, it is a occupational hazard, as it has some toxicity - annoying and cauterize the skin and mucous membranes.
When the concentration of formic acid in the air of industrial premises 0, 02-0, 11 mg / l appears watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, hoarseness, cough, pain and chest tightness, and sometimes - dry mouth and throat, difficulty swallowing solid food, often heartburn
Heartburn - no cause for concern?
, Belching
Belching: why it happens and that means
and other signs of inflammation of the gastric mucosa (gastritis). Even small amounts of formic acid can cause phenomena inside severe gastroenteritis with lesions (chemical burns and necrosis - tissue death) of mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. General poisoning are rare, since formic acid is rapidly degraded and excreted from the body.
After contact with the skin of the solution of formic acid skin turns pale at first, then it becomes shiny, waxy surrounded by a red rim, then can appear blisters or ulcers. The victim disturb a strong burning sensation and pain. After healing of wounds on the skin are often formed keloid scars (red, towering over the rest of the body covered with a thin, constantly irritated skin, difficult to treat). The action of formic acid on the skin and mucous membranes depends on its concentration. Thus, in its concentration of up to 10% can be irritating and more than 10% - corrosive (sores).
Eye contact with concentrated formic acid vapors may cause damage to the surface layers of the eyeball. In some cases the penetration of formic acid in the blood causes damage to the optic nerve blindness.
Contact with concentrated formic acid pairs can result in damage to the airways.
First aid for burns formic acid - a copious washing the affected area with water or 2% solution of soda bread (a teaspoon per cup of water) - the sooner, the better, as this acid has the ability to penetrate into the subcutaneous tissue.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde (formic aldehyde, methanal) is the most well-known derivatives of formic acid. It has antiseptic properties, whereby its 40% aqueous solution called formalin widely used in medicine (for fixing and microscopic anatomical preparations for the manufacture of vaccine and sera for disinfestation and disinfection of premises, clothes, dishes, etc.). Prolonged contact formalin, as well as formic acid, represents a significant occupational hazard, since it has a considerable toxicity (especially the nervous system) and carcinogenicity (the ability to induce malignant tumors). In addition, formaldehyde is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, as the impact of the genetic system.
