Nitric acid: Health effects
Description
Nitric acid is very corrosive compound. The vapour is very irritating to the eyes, throat, lungs and corrosive to the teeth. If the vapour is inhaled in significant amounts it will result in severe coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath. Contact with the skin will result in a severe corrosive burn.
Entering the body
Trace amounts of nitric acid are present in the air circulating in and around major cities. It may be absorbed in minute amounts by inhaling it as a vapour. or swallowing it in liquid form.
Exposure
Most people are exposed outdoors to very minute amounts of nitric acid derived from exhaust fumes or the burning of some organic compounds that contain nitrogen. It is also present in small quantities in rain from areas where nitric oxide (a product of combustion) reacts with ozone and water to form nitric acid. People living near industries that produce or use nitric acid may be exposed to minute quantities of the compound as a result of low rates of emission. Nitric acid may form in minute amounts wherever very high temperatures are generated in the presence of air (nitrogen and oxygen) and water.
Health guidelines
Worksafe Australia:
Human exposure to nitric acid should be a time weighted average of less than 5.2 milligrams per cubic metre of air in an 8 hour period. Short term exposure over a 15 minute period of no more than 10 mg/m3 air is recommended.
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