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Potassium hydroxide is classified as Corrosive (C) and Harmful (Xn) through the EU Hazardous Substances Classification.
The following citations are sourced from the Hazardous Substance Data Bank via the National Libary of Medicine's TOXNET:
Human Health Effects:ACUTE POISONING: ... INGESTION OF ALKALI IS FOLLOWED BY SEVERE PAIN, VOMITING, DIARRHEA, & COLLAPSE. THE VOMITUS CONTAINS BLOOD AND DESQUAMATED MUCOSAL LINING. IF DEATH DOES NOT OCCUR IN THE FIRST 24 HOURS, THE PATIENT MAY IMPROVE FOR 2-4 DAYS AND THEN HAVE A SUDDEN ONSET OF SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN, BOARDLIKE ABDOMINAL RIGIDITY, AND RAPID FALL OF BLOOD PRESSURE INDICATING DELAYED GASTRIC OR ESOPHAGEAL PERFORATION. ... ESOPHAGEAL STRICTURE CAN OCCUR WEEKS, MONTHS, OR EVEN YEARS LATER TO MAKE SWALLOWING DIFFICULT. CARCINOMA IS A RISK IN LATER LIFE. /ALKALIES/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987., p. 211] **PEER REVIEWED**
ACUTE POISONING: ... ALKALIES PENETRATE SKIN SLOWLY. EXTENT OF DAMAGE ... DEPENDS ON DURATION OF CONTACT. ... CHRONIC POISONING: (FROM SKIN CONTACT) A CHRONIC DERMATITIS MAY FOLLOW REPEATED CONTACT WITH ALKALIES. /ALKALIES/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987., p. 211] **PEER REVIEWED**
INGESTION MAY PRODUCE VIOLENT PAIN IN THROAT AND EPIGASTRIUM, HEMATEMESIS, COLLAPSE. IF NOT IMMEDIATELY FATAL, STRICTURE OF ESOPHAGUS MAY DEVELOP ... .
[Budavari, S. (ed.). The Merck Index - Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs and Biologicals. Rahway, NJ: Merck and Co., Inc., 1989., p. 1215] **PEER REVIEWED**
EYE CONTACT WITH CONCENTRATED ALKALI CAUSES CONJUNCTIVAL EDEMA & CORNEAL DESTRUCTION. /ALKALIES/
[Dreisbach, R.H. Handbook of Poisoning. 12th ed. Norwalk, CT: Appleton and Lange, 1987., p. 212] **PEER REVIEWED**
.../ALKALIES, SUCH AS
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE/CAN GELATINIZE TISSUE BY SAPONIFICATION OF LIPID AND LOCAL DEHYDRATION TO SOLUBILIZE PROTEINS AND COLLAGEN WHICH MAY RESULT IN DEEP AND PAINFUL LESIONS ("LIQUEFACTION NECROSIS"). EXPOSURE TO DUST OR MIST MAY CAUSE IRRITATION OF EYES & RESP TRACT & LESIONS OF NASAL SEPTUM.
[American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Inc. Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices. 6th ed. Volumes I, II, III. Cincinnati, OH: ACGIH, 1991., p. 1284] **PEER REVIEWED**
IN 2 SASKATCHEWAN POTASH MINES ATMOSPHERIC DUST LEVELS OF MINING CREW & SCREENING OPERATORS WERE ABOVE 8-HR TLV (TLV-AVG). RESP SYMPTOMS INDICATED BY FORCED EXPIRATORY LUNG FUNCTION TESTS WERE GRADE I PHLEGM PRODN, MILD SHORTNESS OF BREATH & CHRONIC COUGH.
[MARKHAM JW ET AL; AM IND HYG ASSOC J 42 (9): 671 (1981)] **PEER REVIEWED** PubMed Abstract
... WHEN INHALED IN ANY FORM, /IT/ IS STRONGLY IRRITATING TO UPPER RESP TRACT. SEVERE INJURY IS USUALLY AVOIDED BY SELF-LIMITING SNEEZING, COUGHING & DISCOMFORT. ... WHEN EXPOSED TO AIR ... THE BICARBONATE & CARBONATE /ARE FORMED/. ... SINCE THEY ARE LESS ALKALINE IN AQ SOLN THEY MAY BE ... LESS IRRITANT OR CORROSIVE ... .
[Clayton, G.D., F.E. Clayton (eds.) Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. Volumes 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F: Toxicology. 4th ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1993-1994., p. 767] **PEER REVIEWED**
DUST OR MIST /IS/ IRRITATING TO EYES, NOSE & THROAT. SOLID OR LIQUID WILL BURN SKIN & EYES.
[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**
Swallowing caustic alkalies /
potassium hydroxide/causes immediate burning pain in the mouth, throat, and stomach, and the lining membranes become swollen and detached. Vomiting and purging may occur, the vomitus having a brown color from altered blood. There is intense pain and shock. Stricture of the esophagus can develop. In severe cases, circulatory failure, esophageal perforation and peritonitis, or pneumonia may occur.
[Reynolds, J.E.F., Prasad, A.B. (eds.) Martindale-The Extra Pharmacopoeia. 28th ed. London: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1982., p. 44] **PEER REVIEWED**
is one of the strongest alkalies. It is extremely corrosive, and many reports have been made of devastating damage of the eye from contact with either the solid or solutions of
potassium hydroxide.The type of injury is essentially the same as that produced by sodium hydroxide and other strong alkalies.
[Grant, W.M. Toxicology of the Eye. 3rd ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1986., p. 756] **PEER REVIEWED**
"Button" batteries, which contain concentrated solutions of sodium or
potassium hydroxide,represent a serious risk for leakage, corrosion, and perforation when lodged in the esophagus.
[Klaassen, C.D., M.O. Amdur, Doull J. (eds.). Casarett and Doull's Toxicology. The Basic Science of Poisons. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1995., p. 976] **PEER REVIEWED**
DUST OR MIST /IS/ IRRITATING TO EYES, NOSE & 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**
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