Sodium hydroxide

Absorption

There are no quantitative data for the absorption of sodium hydroxide through the skin. Solutions which contain 50 % sodium hydroxide have been shown to be corrosive and lethal when applied dermally to mice .

Toxicity

Human poisoning cases indicate that a dose of 10 grams orally is fatal . Sodium hydroxide is toxic by oral ingestion .
Sodium hydroxide is corrosive to all tissues. Concentrated vapors lead to serious damage to the eyes and respiratory system. Oral ingestion of sodium hydroxide, which occurs frequently in children, causes severe tissue necrosis, with stricture formation of the esophagus, often resulting in death. Contact with the skin may result in contact dermatitis, hair loss, as well as necrosis due to severe irritation .
Increased incidence of esophageal carcinoma after severe intoxication with sodium hydroxide has been reported in man. In animal studies, long-term dermal contact with substances leading to pH changes in the skin causes the development of tumors, as a result of severe tissue irritation and reparative cell growth .
Mutagenic for mammalian somatic cells. May cause damage to the following organs: mucous membranes, upper respiratory tract, skin, eyes . Tumors are not to be expected if the effects of irritation are prevented .
To date, there are no relevant studies of the prenatal toxic effects of sodium hydroxide .

The Uses of Sodium hydroxide

Sodium hydroxide is one of the most important industrial chemicals. It is used in manufacturing a large number of compounds including several sodium salts, in treating cellulose for producing rayon and cellophane, and in manufacturing soaps, detergents, pulp, and paper. Sodium hydroxide is a common neutralizing agent for acids in acid-base titrations and petroleum refining. Another major application is extracting metals from their ores where alkali fusion, such as fusion with caustic soda, often is applied to open the ores. Additionally, sodium hydroxide is used to precipitate metals as hydroxides. Other uses are in reclaiming rubber, dissolving casein in plastics production, refining vegetable oils, processing textiles, as an eluant in ion chromatography, etching and electroplating, and as a laboratory reagent. Sodium hydroxide also is used as a strong base in many organic synthesis and base-catalyzed reactions. Sodium Hydroxide is a strong base and acid neutralizer also used in the staining procedure of cells.

Background

Sodium hydroxide is also known as lye or soda , or caustic soda . At room temperature, sodium hydroxide is a white crystalline odorless solid that absorbs moisture from the air. It is a synthetically manufactured substance. When dissolved in water or neutralized with acid it releases substantial amounts of heat, which may prove sufficient to ignite combustible materials. Sodium hydroxide is highly corrosive .

Indications

Used to destroy or kill the nail matrix (matrixectomies) .

Pharmacokinetics

Sodium Hydroxide 10% forms a strongly alkaline and caustic solution. As a caustic agent, it is used to destroy organic tissue by chemical action .