Bedlasky
International Hazard
Posts: 1219
Registered: 15-4-2019
Location: Period 5, group 6
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Copper hydroxide exposure
Hi.
I bought some copper hydroxide. It was packed in normal PE bags, which you find in every shop. So I decided to put it in to better container. But it
was clogging my funnel all the time, so it was pain in the ass. I had blue hands and I also breath some dust of copper hydroxide. I washed my hands
well, but this is not what I am worry about. I am more worry about inhalation of dust. I don't think that I breathed huge amount of it, but still I
had some copper hydroxide in nose and I cough little bit for a while. Have inhalation of copper hydroxide some consequences?
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Oxy
Hazard to Others
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Registered: 1-12-2020
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You should be ok. As it's not very soluble it is less toxic than copper salts.
I highly recommend using a funnel with wide tube which is great for powders (and liquids also).
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violet sin
International Hazard
Posts: 1475
Registered: 2-9-2012
Location: Daydreaming of uraninite...
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I've not had a noticed reaction from breathing anything other than when measuring out cinnamon powder for weighting. Aside from spilling strong
acids/bases on flesh that is. I've certainly breathed copper a stances from the metal to compounds. That's not to say you won't notice anything, but
I'd not be worried personally. Hanging drywall for years I've definitely done more damage from making a living with fiberglass/gypsum dust in the
air.
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woelen
Super Administrator
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Registered: 20-8-2005
Location: Netherlands
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Copper is not particularly toxic for humans and the most toxic route is by ingestion. Inhaled insoluble dust of copper hydroxide will not be healthy,
but I think that it is not much more harmful than any other inhaled inert dust. Ingested copper hydroxide (any copper salt) is more harmful, that can
lead to intense nausea and vomiting. But if you do not suffer from nausea, then you should just be fine.
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Fulmen
International Hazard
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Registered: 24-9-2005
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It might not be as bad as it could be, but it's not good for you and it was entirely avoidable. You might want to file this as a teachable moment,
next time it could be something really bad.
We're not banging rocks together here. We know how to put a man back together.
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B(a)P
International Hazard
Posts: 1114
Registered: 29-9-2019
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It is unlikely to have contained much dust below 10 um. As a result your nose and airways would have filtered that majority of it out as evidenced by
what you observed in your nose and the coughing. You would need prolonged exposure to quite visible dust for it to have a toxic effect. Short term
exposure to the extent where you experience mild symptoms (usually fever and headache) will still not have a lasting effect, it will give your liver a
bit of a work out, but assuming you are otherwise heathy it will not cause it any damage. The human body needs a little copper to function properly
and is quite good at getting rid of an excess.
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Fery
National Hazard
Posts: 990
Registered: 27-8-2019
Location: Czechoslovakia
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Insoluble dust with particles size > 0,5 um is caught at walls of airways, below 0,5 um enters lung alveoli, and most of it is expelled with
respiratory mucus. If a trace of Cu(OH)2 dissolve in respiratory system by a reaction with some organic acids present there and enters human blood it
will be only trace amount impossible to measure, much less than physiological level of Cu2+ in blood plasma (Cu2+ is essential microelement for some
enzymes). There are some diseases when internal level of Cu2+ is high (it does not circulate as free Cu2+ but bound to ceruloplasmin) like Wilson
disease (hepatolenticular degeneration) but this is not your case.
Here an interesting article about coal miners, they inhale 1000 g of coal dust during lifetime and no more than 40 g stay in lungs, but this is
something else, coal dust is insoluble.
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/lungs_dust.html?=u...
And here an article about dust deposition in respiratory system depending on particle size:
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/how_do.html
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zed
International Hazard
Posts: 2277
Registered: 6-9-2008
Location: Great State of Jefferson, City of Portland
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We like you. In the future, wear gloves and a mask.
If it was Beryllium Oxide, you would be irrevocably screwed.
Not that I haven't messed up a few times. Just not lately.
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