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Calcium hydroxide, traditionally called slaked lime, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca(OH)2. It is a colourless crystal or white powder and is obtained when calcium oxide (called lime or quicklime) is mixed, or "slaked" with water. Calcium hydroxide is classified as Corrosive (C) and Harmful (Xn) through the EU Hazardous Substances Classification. (Source: Wikipedia)
The following citations are sourced from the Hazardous Substance Data Bank via the National Libary of Medicine's TOXNET:
Human Health Effects:
Human Toxicity Excerpts:
A. ACUTE POISONING: 1. INGESTION- INGESTION OF ALKALI IS FOLLOWED BY SEVERE PAIN, VOMITING, DIARRHEA, & COLLAPSE. VOMITUS CONTAINS BLOOD & DESQUAMATED MUCOSAL LINING. IF DEATH DOES NOT OCCUR IN FIRST 24 HR, PT MAY IMPROVE ... 2-4 DAYS ... THEN ... ONSET OF SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN, RAPID FALL OF BLOOD PRESSURE INDICATING DELAYED GASTRIC OR ESOPHAGEAL PERFORATION. ... ESOPHAGEAL STRICTURE CAN OCCUR WK, MO, OR ... YR LATER TO MAKE SWALLOWING DIFFICULT. /ALKALIES/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987., p. 211] **PEER REVIEWED**
A. ACUTE POISONING: 3. ALKALIES PENETRATE SKIN SLOWLY. EXTENT OF DAMAGE ... DEPENDS ON DURATION OF CONTACT. B. CHRONIC POISONING (FROM SKIN CONTACT): CHRONIC DERMATITIS MAY FOLLOW REPEATED CONTACT WITH ALKALIES. /ALKALIES/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987., p. 213] **PEER REVIEWED**
CALCIUM HYDROXIDE IN VARIOUS FORMS IS ONE OF THE COMMONEST CAUSES OF SEVERE CHEMICAL BURNS OF EYE, MOST COMMONLY KNOWN AS "LIME BURNS".
[Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 167] **PEER REVIEWED**
MILD LIME BURNS ... TYPICALLY CAUSE A FROSTED OR GROUND GLASS TYPE OF OPACITY LOCATED ... SUPERFICIALLY APPROX AT THE LEVEL OF BOWMAN'S MEMBRANE, RESEMBLING BAND KERATOPATHY OF HYPERCALCEMIA IN ITS BIOMICROSCOPIC APPEARANCE. IT IS FREQUENTLY SEEN IN PATIENTS WITH CONSIDERABLE LOSS OF EPITHELIUM BUT NO UNDERLYING OPACITY OF THE STROMA. THIS THIN LAMINA OR VEIL OF OPACITY MAY BE COVERED BY THE CORNEAL EPITHELIUM WHEN IT REGENERATES, RETAINING A CLOSE RESEMBLANCE TO CALCIFIC BAND KERATOPATHY. THE OVERLYING EPITHELIUM HAS TO BE REMOVED BEFORE THE DEPOSIT CAN BE DISSOLVED BY EDETATE (EDTA) SOLUTION.
[Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 217] **PEER REVIEWED**
CORNEAS SEVERELY BURNED BY CALCIUM HYDROXIDE ... TYPICALLY ARE ANESTHETIC FOR MANY DAYS AFTER THE INJURY ... PRESUMED DUE TO DAMAGE OF CORNEAL NERVES.
[Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 168] **PEER REVIEWED**
HUMAN DENTAL PULPS OBTAINED FROM 33 NONCARIOUS TEETH EXTRACTED FROM YOUNG ADULTS WERE CULTIVATED IN VITRO. CALCIUM HYDROXIDE (CA(OH)2), COTTON & SILVER WERE NONTOXIC WHILE ZINC OXIDE-EUGENOL PASTE WAS TOXIC WHEN EACH WAS TESTED IN PROXIMITY WITH CELLS.
[DAS S; ORAL MED ORAL PATHOL 52 (1): 76-84 (1981)] **PEER REVIEWED**
... Lime burns of the eye are caused by a splash of a thick, moist, pasty material (plaster, mortar, or cement), less commonly by a splash of milky fluid (whitewash) and rarely by a clear solution of calcium hydroxide (lime water).
[Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 167] **PEER REVIEWED**
... LIME, PLASTER, OR CEMENT ON REACHING EYE TENDS TO REACT WITH MOISTURE & PROTEIN ... & FORM CLUMPS OF MOIST CMPD, VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE BY USUAL IRRIGATION. SUCH CLUMPS TEND TO LODGE DEEP IN CUL-DE-SACS INFERIORLY & SUPERIORLY & ACT AS RESERVOIRS FOR LIBERATION OF CALCIUM HYDROXIDE OVER LONG PERIODS ...
[Amdur, M.O., J. Doull, C.D. Klaasen (eds). Casarett and Doull's Toxicology. 4th ed. New York, NY: Pergamon Press, 1991., p. 524] **PEER REVIEWED**
Skin, Eye and Respiratory Irritations:
Skin irritant.
[Hawley, G.G. The Condensed Chemical Dictionary. 10th ed. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1981., p. 182] **PEER REVIEWED**
Dust irritates eyes, nose and throat.
[U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Transportation. CHRIS - Hazardous Chemical Data. Volume II. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1984-5.] **PEER REVIEWED**
Probable Routes of Human Exposure:
IN FORM OF DUST IT IS CONSIDERED ... IMPORTANT INDUSTRIAL HAZARD.
[Sax, N.I. Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 5th ed. New York: Van Nostrand Rheinhold, 1979., p. 462] **PEER REVIEWED**
GENERAL PURPOSE FOOD ADDITIVE ... SUBSTANCE MIGRATING TO FOOD FROM PACKAGING MATERIAL ... .
[Sax, N.I. Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials. 5th ed. New York: Van Nostrand Rheinhold, 1979., p. 462] **PEER REVIEWED**
The National Occupational Hazard Survey conducted by NIOSH estimated that 399 workers may be exposed to calcium hydroxide; 100% from actual observed use, 0% from observed use of a tradename product known to contain this chemical, and 0% from observed use of a product in some type of general use which leads NIOSH to suspect that this chemical may be contained in the product.
[NIOSH National Hazard Exposure Survey (1972-1974)] **PEER REVIEWED**
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