Chemistry and related sciences

Skin damage from hydrogen peroxide?

I was just cleaning out some hydroponic pots for a new season. I am using
hydrogen peroxide to get rid of algae and other such crap. I started using
35% solution. The recommended dilution was 1oz to a gallon (96oz) of water.
This would give me an ultimate solution of about 0.35%.

Apparently, while trying to run brushes through some of the tubing, I dipped
my hands into the solution before it was fully diluted. The result was an
ashy white appearance on some of my fingers. It has now been a few hours
since that happened, and almost all that ashyness has disappeared.

Was that truly oxidized skin or components in the skin? Is that what I
should have expected from hydrogen peroxide? Who has had such exposure and
what happened?

Bill
— Fermez le Bush–about two years to go.

posted by admin in Uncategorized and have Comments (4)

4 Responses to “Skin damage from hydrogen peroxide?”

  1. admin says:

    "Salmon Egg" <salmon…@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message

    news:C229AAE8.6B265%salmonegg@sbcglobal.net…

    >I was just cleaning out some hydroponic pots for a new season. I am using
    > hydrogen peroxide to get rid of algae and other such crap. I started using
    > 35% solution. The recommended dilution was 1oz to a gallon (96oz) of
    > water.
    > This would give me an ultimate solution of about 0.35%.

    > Apparently, while trying to run brushes through some of the tubing, I
    > dipped
    > my hands into the solution before it was fully diluted. The result was an
    > ashy white appearance on some of my fingers. It has now been a few hours
    > since that happened, and almost all that ashyness has disappeared.

    > Was that truly oxidized skin or components in the skin? Is that what I
    > should have expected from hydrogen peroxide? Who has had such exposure and
    > what happened?

    Yup.  35% H2O2 turns skin white and itches like crazy.  Been there, done
    that, got the t-shirt.
    As soon as one sees the problem – loads of running water.


    Ron Jones
    Process Safety & Development Specialist
    Don’t repeat history, unreported chemical lab/plant near misses at
    http://www.crhf.org.uk
    Only two things are certain: The universe and human stupidity; and I’m not
    certain about the universe. ~ Albert Einstein

  2. admin says:

    Salmon Egg wrote:

    > I was just cleaning out some hydroponic pots for a new season. I am using
    > hydrogen peroxide to get rid of algae and other such crap. I started using
    > 35% solution. The recommended dilution was 1oz to a gallon (96oz) of water.
    > This would give me an ultimate solution of about 0.35%.

    > Apparently, while trying to run brushes through some of the tubing, I dipped
    > my hands into the solution before it was fully diluted. The result was an
    > ashy white appearance on some of my fingers. It has now been a few hours
    > since that happened, and almost all that ashyness has disappeared.

    > Was that truly oxidized skin or components in the skin? Is that what I
    > should have expected from hydrogen peroxide? Who has had such exposure and
    > what happened?

    H2O2 diffuses through the dead layer of skin until it hits live meat
    and catalase.  It then sub-dermally explodes into gaseous oxygen.
    Nasty.

    Are you growing cloned Northern Lights?  All female; 30 wt-% single
    isomer /_\-9-THC.  Now tell Uncle Al why the idiots in corn, rice, and
    wheat breeding can’t get it together.


    Uncle Al
    http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
     (Toxic URL! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
    http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/lajos.htm#a2

  3. admin says:

    On 3/23/07 5:13 PM, in article 46046D36.3F8D1…@hate.spam.net, "Uncle Al"

    <Uncle…@hate.spam.net> wrote:
    > Are you growing cloned Northern Lights?  All female; 30 wt-% single
    > isomer /_\-9-THC.  Now tell Uncle Al why the idiots in corn, rice, and
    > wheat breeding can’t get it together.

    I do not indulge although I would if medical necessity arose.

    My son once drove me to a relatively crowded hydroponics store. He commented
    that I appeared to be the only person there who was interested in growing
    tomatoes. This observation was reinforced when we noted someone paying for a
    fairly expensive large plastic gismo using a wad of what appeared to be $5
    bills.

    Bill
    — Fermez le Bush–about two years to go.

  4. admin says:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    Salmon Egg wrote:
    > I was just cleaning out some hydroponic pots for a new season. I am using
    > hydrogen peroxide to get rid of algae and other such crap. I started using
    > 35% solution. The recommended dilution was 1oz to a gallon (96oz) of water.
    > This would give me an ultimate solution of about 0.35%.

    > Apparently, while trying to run brushes through some of the tubing, I dipped
    > my hands into the solution before it was fully diluted. The result was an
    > ashy white appearance on some of my fingers. It has now been a few hours
    > since that happened, and almost all that ashyness has disappeared.

    > Was that truly oxidized skin or components in the skin? Is that what I
    > should have expected from hydrogen peroxide? Who has had such exposure and
    > what happened?

    > Bill
    > — Fermez le Bush–about two years to go.

    You can get it from the freely available 3% solution on moderately long
    exposure such as trying to clean a small wound. Net effect is minimal if
    the exposure is not very protracted. Worst case for the dilute stuff is
    when a bandage is slapped on a wound before the excess peroxide has
    drained off. The resulting skin appearance after a couple of days is
    that of a whitened mess that sloughs away after a while and normal skin
    growth takes over.
    FK

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