Silver inhalation

These salts are corrosive and are to be considered toxic because of the presence of Ag+ ions. The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) (1992—1993) has adopted TWA values of 0.01 mg/m for silver metal and 0.01 mg/m for soluble silver salts. TWA for fluorides as F ions is 2.5 mg/m. The MSDS should be consulted prior to use. Skin contact and inhalation should be avoided. 

Silver occurs naturally in several oxidation states, the most common being elemental silver (Ag°) and the monovalent ion (Ag+). Soluble silver salts are, in general, more toxic than insoluble salts. In natural waters, the soluble monovalent species is the form of environmental concern. Sorption is the dominant process that controls silver partitioning in water and its movements in soils and sediments. As discussed later, silver enters the animal body through inhalation, ingestion, mucous membranes, and broken skin. The interspecies differences in the ability of animals to accumulate, retain, and eliminate silver are large. Almost all of the total silver intake is usually... 

Inhalation route. Anesthetized dogs exposed to metallic silver particles about 0.5 pm in diameter total dose deposited of 25 pg... 

Humans inhaling mean concentrations at 10 or 15 ppm in electroplating or silver-... 

Takenaka S, Karg E, Roth C, Schulz H, Ziesenis A, Heinzmann U, Schramel P, Heyder J (2001) Pulmonary and systemic distribution of inhaled ultrafine silver particles in rats. Environ Health Perspect 109 547-551. 

Production of ammonia (NH ) Anhydrous (dry) ammonia is the fifth most produced industrial compound. The Haber-Bosch process uses steam on hot coke, which is mostly used in South Africa. In the United States, it is mostly produced from partial combustion of natural gas (methane) or by combining several gases using steam. Other methods use coke-oven gas, refinery gas (mostly methane), or even solar energy. Ammonia is toxic if inhaled and has a high pH value when mixed with water (hydration) to form ammonium hydroxide (NH OH), which has many uses, including as a household cleaner. Ammonia forms many compounds, including ammonium nitrate in fertilizer, rocket fuel, and explosives. Ammonia is also explosive when mixed with mercury or silver or when mixed as part of nitrocellulose. 

Potassium cyanide (KCN) is a white crystalline substance with a slight odor of bitter almonds. It is produced when hydrogen cyanide is absorbed in potassium hydroxide. It is used to extract gold and silver from their ores, in electroplating computer boards, and as an insecticide. Potassium cyanide is very toxic to the skin or when ingested or inhaled, and it is used as a source of cyanide (CN) gas in gas chambers. 

Foiycki Z, Zegarski W, Bardzik J, et al Acute silver poisoning through inhalation. Bull Inst Maritime Trop Med Gydnia 34 199-202, 1983... 

Regulatory facts ATSDR - minimal risk level (MRL) - inhalation 0.2 ig/m3 General facts long history of use, liquid silver evaporates at room temperature, bacteria convert to organic methyl mercury Environmental global environmental contaminant Recommendations avoid, recycle mercury-containing devices... 

The liquid silver inorganic mercury evaporates into the atmosphere. When inhaled, mercury crosses easily into the blood and then to the brain, thus the primary... 

Silver et al. reported a median lethal concentration of 1,500 g/m Tby Inhalation, for 10-min exposure of mice. 

USEPA 1980). The biological half-time of silver in the lungs of an exposed person was about 1 day in liver it was 52 days (Fowler and Nordberg 1986). In humans, 80% of the retained silver in lung was cleared in about 1 day 50% of the remainder was usually cleared in 3 days (USEPA 1980). In persons who had accidentally inhaled radiosilver-llOm, most of the inhaled silver had a half-time persistence of about 1 day, probably because of rapid mucociliary clearance, swallowing, and fecal excretion most of the absorbed radiosilver translocated to the Uver (USEPA 1980). 

---