How much lye will kill you

Different protocols for managing their care may be needed. Inhalation of sodium hydroxide is immediately irritating to the respiratory tract. Swelling or spasms of the larynx leading to upper-airway obstruction and asphyxia can occur after high-dose inhalation.

Inflammation of the lungs and an accumulation of fluid in the lungs may also occur. Children may be more vulnerable to corrosive agents than adults because of the relatively smaller diameter of their airways. Children may be more vulnerable because of relatively increased minute ventilation per kg and failure to evacuate an area promptly when exposed.

People with asthma or emphysema may be more susceptible to the toxicity of this agent. Skin contact with solid sodium hydroxide or its concentrated solutions can cause severe burns with deep ulcerations. Burns appear soft and moist and are very painful.

Although contact with concentrated solutions causes pain and irritation within 3 minutes, contact with dilute solutions may not cause symptoms for several hours.

Because of their relatively larger surface area:body weight ratio, children are more vulnerable to toxicants affecting the skin.

Eye exposure may produce diffuse or localized blood vessel clots and an accumulation of fluid in the eye. Softening, sloughing, and ulcerations of the cornea may occur. Ulcerations may continue to progress for many days. Severe injury can lead to clouding of the eye surface and blindness. Ingestion of sodium hydroxide can cause spontaneous vomiting, chest and abdominal pain, and difficulty swallowing with drooling.

Corrosive injury to the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach is extremely rapid and may result in perforation, hemorrhage, and narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract.

Cataracts, glaucoma, adhesion of the eyelid to the cornea, blindness, and loss of the eye may occur after eye exposure. Cancer of the esophagus has been reported 15 to 40 years after the formation of corrosion-induced strictures.

However, it is believed that these cancers were the result of tissue destruction and scar formation rather than a direct cancer-causing action of sodium hydroxide. Severe inhalation injuries may cause persistent hoarseness and reactive airways dysfunction syndrome RADS , a chemically- or irritant-induced type of asthma. Chronic exposure to dusts or mists of sodium hydroxide may lead to ulceration of the nasal passages.

Chronic skin exposures can lead to dermatitis. Ingestion may lead to perforation of the gastrointestinal tract or stricture formation. Chronic exposure may be more serious for children because of their potential longer latency period.

Sodium hydroxide has not been classified for carcinogenic effects. See Potential Sequelae above. Sodium hydroxide dissociates within the body and would not reach the reproductive organs in an unchanged state. No data were located concerning reproductive endpoints in humans exposed to sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide is not teratogenic in rats. Sodium hydroxide is not included in Reproductive and Developmental Toxicants , a report published by the U. General Accounting Office GAO that lists 30 chemicals of concern because of widely acknowledged reproductive and developmental consequences.

Rescuers should be trained and appropriately attired before entering the Hot Zone. If the proper equipment is not available, or if rescuers have not been trained in its use, assistance should be obtained from a local or regional HAZMAT team or other properly equipped response organization. Respiratory Protection : Positive-pressure, self-contained breathing apparatus SCBA is recommended in response situations that involve exposure to potentially unsafe levels of sodium hydroxide.

Skin Protection : Chemical-protective clothing is recommended because sodium hydroxide can cause irritation or skin burns. Quickly access for a patent airway, ensure adequate respiration and pulse. If trauma is suspected, maintain cervical immobilization manually and apply a cervical collar and a backboard when feasible. If victims can walk, lead them out of the Hot Zone to the Decontamination Zone. Victims who are unable to walk may be removed on backboards or gurneys; if these are not available, carefully carry or drag victims to safety.

Consider appropriate management of chemically contaminated children, such as measures to reduce separation anxiety if a child is separated from a parent or other adult. If exposure levels are determined to be safe, decontamination may be conducted by personnel wearing a lower level of protection than that worn in the Hot Zone described above.

Stabilize the cervical spine with a collar and a backboard if trauma is suspected. Administer supplemental oxygen as required. Assist ventilation with a bag-valve-mask device if necessary.

Rapid decontamination is critical. Victims who are able may assist with their own decontamination. Rescuers should wear protective clothing and gloves while treating patients whose skin is contaminated with sodium hydroxide. Immediately brush any solid material from clothes, skin, or hair while protecting the victim's eyes. Quickly remove contaminated clothing and flush exposed areas with water for at least 15 minutes.

Double-bag contaminated clothing and personal belongings. Use caution to avoid hypothermia when decontaminating children or the elderly. Use blankets or warmers when appropriate. Flush exposed or irritated eyes with plain water or saline for at least 30 minutes. Remove contact lenses if easily removable without additional trauma to the eye, otherwise sodium hydroxide trapped beneath the lens will continue to damage the eye.

If pain or injury is evident, continue irrigation while transferring the victim to the Support Zone. In cases of ingestion, do not induce emesis.

Do not administer activated charcoal or attempt to neutralize stomach contents. Victims who are conscious and able to swallow can be given 4 to 8 ounces of milk or water; if the patient is symptomatic, delay decontamination until other emergency measures have been instituted.

Consider appropriate management of chemically contaminated children at the exposure site. Provide reassurance to the child during decontamination, especially if separation from a parent occurs.

As soon as basic decontamination is complete, move the victim to the Support Zone. Be certain that victims have been decontaminated properly see Decontamination Zone above. Victims who have undergone decontamination pose no serious risks of secondary contamination to rescuers. In such cases, Support Zone personnel require no specialized protective gear.

Quickly access for a patent airway. Ensure adequate respiration and pulse. Administer supplemental oxygen as required and establish intravenous access if necessary. Place on a cardiac monitor. Victims who are conscious and able to swallow can be given 4 to 8 ounces of milk or water if this has not been given previously; if the patient is symptomatic, delay decontamination until other emergency measures have been instituted. In cases of respiratory compromise secure airway and respiration via endotracheal intubation.

If not possible, perform cricothyroidotomy if equipped and trained to do so. Avoid blind nasotracheal intubation or the use of an esophageal obturator. Use direct visualization to intubate.

But "we might have gotten a hold of one. Getting the public to accept a process that strikes some as ghastly may be the biggest challenge. Psychopaths and dictators have used acid or lye to torture or erase their victims, and legislation to make alkaline hydrolysis available to the public in New York state was branded "Hannibal Lecter's bill" in a play on the sponsor's name — Sen.

Kemp Hannon — and the Silence of the Lambs movie character's sadism. Alkaline hydrolysis is legal in Minnesota and in New Hampshire, where a Manchester funeral director is pushing to offer it. But he has yet to line up the necessary regulatory approvals, and some New Hampshire lawmakers want to repeal the little-noticed state law legalizing it. Cremation, you're burned up. I've thought about it, but I'm dead. In addition to the liquid, the process leaves a dry bone residue similar in appearance and volume to cremated remains.

It could be returned to the family in an urn or buried in a cemetery. The coffee-colored liquid has the consistency of motor oil and a strong ammonia smell. But proponents say it is sterile and can, in most cases, be safely poured down the drain, provided the operation has the necessary permits.

Eye irritation and exacerbation of skin disorders have been associated with pH values greater than In addition, solutions of pH 10— Online SourcesBramble Berry. The Lye Guy. Boyer Corporation. Essential Depot. Bitter Creek Candle Co. The Soap Dish. Jun 26, Lye soap is made from potassium hydroxide from wood ashes or sodium hydroxide and animal fat.