The False Blog

A few days ago we had some experiments in the Chemistry lesson. It’s about sulphuric acid, sulphur dioxide, something like that.

As the title says, I had an accident that day. We took some test tubes from the tray, then I saw that they were dirty. Must have been that the last class did not clean up. So, naturally, I had to clean it with my greatest effort. As I was cleaning one of the test tubes, I felt some pain on my left thumb. It took me a while to notice that it is unusual, as I had had a very little wound there. So, after I knew that there was something wrong, I had to figure out what was wrong. I didn’t know that the test tubes had been used for some experiments about concentrated sulphuric acid. But soon I figured it out. Knowing that acids are corrosive, I immediately washed my poor finger. But what I didn’t know was this: (cited from Wikipedia)

Laboratory hazards
The corrosive properties of sulfuric acid are accentuated by its highly exothermic reaction with water. Hence burns from sulfuric acid are potentially more serious than those of comparable strong acids (e.g. hydrochloric acid), as there is additional tissue damage due to dehydration and particularly due to the heat liberated by the reaction with water, i.e. secondary thermal damage. … In the case of sulfuric acid it is important that the acid should be removed before washing, as a further heat burn could result from the exothermic dilution of the acid. Washing should be continued for a sufficient length of time—at least ten to fifteen minutes—in order to cool the tissue surrounding the acid burn and to prevent secondary damage.

OMG. I totally didn’t know the part about water. I didn’t pay attention in lessons and I don’t do revisions. I have paid for this lesson. And I didn’t wash my finger for 15 minutes, only a few. I wonder what damage is done to my finger. Probably the cells are dead. Who knows if they will grow again?

My poor chemical knowledge, it is going to kill me someday. My friends, learn from my lesson. At least now I will never forget that H2SO4 plus H2O is highly exothermic.