Skin contact with strong acetic acid can cause pain, burns and ulcers. Eye contact causes pain, twitching of the eyelids, watering eyes, inflammation, sensitivity to light and burns. People with breathing problems such as asthma may be more susceptible to the effects of inhaling acetic acid.
This is because higher levels of acetic acid can cause irritation of airways leading to chest tightness, wheezing and breathlessness. Low level exposure to acetic acid from the diet or from the correct use of household products that contain acetic acid would not be expected to harm the unborn child. There is limited information about overexposure to acetic acid during pregnancy.
The irritant or corrosive tends to occur at the point of contact, for example, irritation to the skin or eyes. The absorption of acids into the body is generally low and therefore they do not cause effects in other parts of the body. Therefore, acetic acid is unlikely to have a direct effect on the unborn child. However, if the exposure acetic acid causes the mother to become unwell this may affect the health of the unborn child.
If children breathe, ingest or touch acetic acid they will have similar effects to those seen in adults. They are not expected to be more sensitive to the effects of acetic acid. Household cleaning products that contain acetic acid should be stored in an appropriate container and kept out of the reach of children. To help us improve GOV. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in.
Cookies on GOV. UK We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies. Hide this message. Home Government Emergency preparation, response and recovery Acetic acid: health effects and incident management. Public Health England. Contents Overview Uses of acetic acid How acetic acid gets into the environment Exposure to acetic acid Print this page. Overview Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, is a clear colourless liquid which has a pungent, vinegar-like odour.
How acetic acid gets into the environment Acetic acid can enter the environment from discharge and emissions from industries. Vinegar is used as a food ingredient and can also be an ingredient in personal care products , household cleaners, pet shampoos and many other products for the home: Food Preparation: Vinegar is a common food ingredient, often used as a brine in pickling liquids, vinaigrettes, marinades and other salad dressings. Vinegar also can be used in food preparation to help control Salmonella contamination in meat and poultry products.
Cleaning: Vinegar can be used throughout the home as a window cleaner, to clean automatic coffee makers and dishes, as a rinsing agent for dishwashers, and to clean bathroom tile and grout. Vinegar can also be used to clean food-related tools and equipment because it generally does not leave behind a harmful residue and requires less rinsing. Gardening : In concentrations of 10 to 20 percent, acetic acid can be used as a weed killer on gardens and lawns.
When used as an herbicide , the acetic acid can kill weeds that have emerged from the soil, but does not affect the roots of the weed, so they can regrow. Industrial applications for glacial acetic acid include: Vinyl Acetate, cellulose fibers and plastics : Acetic acid is used to make many chemicals, including vinyl acetate , acetic anhydride and acetate esters. Vinyl acetate is used to make polyvinyl acetate, a polymer used in paints, adhesives, plastics and textile finishes.
Acetic anhydride is used in the manufacture of cellulose acetate fibers and plastics used for photographic film, clothing and coatings. Acetic acid is also used in the chemical reaction to produce purified terephthalic acid PTA , which is used to manufacture the PET plastic resin used in synthetic fibers, food containers, beverage bottles and plastic films. Solvents: Acetic acid is a hydrophilic solvent , similar to ethanol.
It dissolves compounds such as oils, sulfur and iodine and mixes with water, chloroform and hexane. Acidizing oil and gas: Acetic acid can help reduce metal corrosion and scale build-up in oil and gas well applications. It is also used in oil well stimulation to improve flow and increase production of oil and gas.
Pharmaceuticals and vitamins: The pharmaceutical industry uses acetic acid in the manufacture of vitamins, antibiotics, hormones and other products. Food Processing: Acetic acid is commonly used as a cleaning and disinfecting product in food processing plants.
Other uses : Salts of acetic acid and various rubber and photographic chemicals are made from acetic acid.
Acetic acid and its sodium salt are commonly used as a food preservative. Back to Top. It can be used as an alternative product to prevent infection and kill bacteria. A study on burn wounds, carried out by researchers from the University of Birmingham and the National Institute of Health Research, Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Centre tested the antibacterial activity of acetic acid and found, that even in lower concentrations, the acid actively inhibits the growth of pathogens, prevents the formation of biofilms and eradicates pre-formed biofilms.
It is important to note however, that if you do suffer a burn this should be treated professionally by hospital staff, do not simply self-apply vinegar to the wound. In the s there was a breakthrough, a product called cellulose acetate replaced nitrate film putting an end to the risks of fire, combustion and the general concern of carrying film around with you. Projectors used to be equipped with fire-proof boxes and you'd be turned away from public transport if you were carrying nitrate film.
Cellulose acetate is commercially produced using acetic anhydride which involves a dehydration of acetic acid to give an organic compound called ketene. This is then reacted with acetic acid to produce the anhydride required. Vinegar is the most closely associated product with acetic acid however, vinyl acetate monomer is actually one of the primary products that uses acetic acid in its production.
A reaction consisting of ethylene, acetic acid and oxygen over a palladium catalyst creates the vinyl acetate which can then be polymerised to a number of different polymers which are the common components in adhesives and paints.
Given the properties of acetic acid, it is therefore no surprise that it can be used as an excellent de-scaler. You'll see the limescale fizz and bubble away as acetic acid reacts with it, breaking it down from a solid into a readily removable liquid.
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