Yellow phosphorus toxicity

Yellow phosphorus was the first identified liver toxin. It causes accumulation of lipids in the liver. Several liver toxins such as chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and bromobenzene have since been identified. I he forms of acute liver toxicity are accumulation of lipids in the liver, hepartxiellular necrosis, iii-trahepatic cholestasis, and a disease state that resembles viral hepatitis. The types of chrome hepatotoxicity are cirrhosis and liver cancer. 

Toxic Reactions of the Skin Irritation is the most common reaction of the skin. Skin irritation is usually a local inflammatory reaction. The most common skin irritants are solvents dehydrating, oxidizing, or reducing compounds and cosmetic compounds. Acids and alkalies are common irritants. Irritation reactions can be divided into acute irritation and corrosion. Necrosis of the surface of the skin is typical for corrosion. Acids and alkalies also cause chemical burns. Phenols, organotin compounds, hydrogen fluoride, and yellow phosphorus may cause serious burns. Phenol also causes local anesthesia, in fact it has been used as a local anesthetic in minor ear operations such as puncture of the tympanous membrane in cases of otitis. ... 

Chang S-G, Hu K, Wang Y. 1994. The use of yellow phosphorus to destroy toxic organic compounds. Journal of Environmental Sciences (China) 6(1) 1-12. 

Zitko V, Aiken DE, Tibbo SN, et al. 1970. Toxicity for yellow phosphorus to herring (Clupea harengus), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), lobster (Homorus americanus), and beach flea ( Gammarus oceanicus). Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 27 21-29. 

Phosphorus can be absorbed into the systemic circulation from the skin, lungs, and intestinal tract. For all practical purposes, white and yellow phosphorus are readily absorbed while red phosphorus is not. The target organs of toxicity include the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidney, bone, and the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. 

Yellow phosphorus is a highly toxic element that is still used as a rodenticide. Poultry and wild birds can be intoxicated by consumption of bait intended for rodents. Firework fragments also are a common source of poisoning in free-ranging birds. Affected birds are depressed and anorectic, have increased water consumption, and manifest diarrhea, ataxia, paralysis, coma, and death. 

In addition to the metal yellow phosphorus being used as a rodenticide, other rodenticides are potentially toxic to poultry and other birds. The clinical signs caused by these rodenticides in birds are similar to those observed in other animals. 

Caution. Yellow phosphorus (P4) is extremely toxic and causes severe burns. Owing to the known toxicity of metal carbonyls and gaseous CO (which is evolved in this synthesis), all preparative procedures must be carried out in an efficient fume hood. No other hazardous steps are involved, although care must be exercised when handling metallic sodium. 

There are two naturally occurring types of elemental phosphoms red and yellow. Red phosphorus is not absorbed and is essentially nontoxic, in contrast, yellow phosphorus (also called white phosphorus) is a highly toxic cellular poison. Yei-low/white phosphorus is a colorless or yellow wax-like crystaiiine solid, with a garliclike odor, and is almost insoluble in water. Although no longer a component of matches, yellow/white phosphorus is still used in the manufacture of fireworks and fertilizer and as a rodenticide. 

Toxicity. Yellow phosphorus is a highly toxic and dangerous compound. The acute LD,g in dogs is 2 mg/kg. 

Arsenic exists as grey, yellow and black forms of differing physical properties and susceptibilities towards atmospheric oxygen. The general chemistry is similar to that of phosphorus but whereas phosphorus is non-metallic, the common form of arsenic is metallic. Traces of arsenides may be present in metallic residues and drosses these may yield highly toxic arsine, ASH3, with water. 

The pure compound is a pale yellow, nearly odourless oil, soluble in organic solvents, but almost insoluble in water. Averell and Norris2 describe the detection of minute quantities of parathion (20 /ig.) in spray and dust, by reduction with zinc, diazotization and coupling with an amine to give an intense magenta colour. It is effective (at concentrations of 25-600 p.p.m.) against many insect species, but of course, like the majority of organo-phosphorus insecticides, it is toxic to man and to animals. 

Elemental sulfur is a yellow solid, in which eight snlfnr atoms form a crown-shaped ring Ss. Unlike elemental white phosphorus, elemental snlfnr has very low toxicity. Years ago, people in the United States took a preparation of snlfnr and molasses as a spring tonic. Taken orally, sulfur has a mild laxative effect. Beyond that, it is not clear to me what favorable effects this tonic may have had, if any. There is a lot of snlfnr aronnd. When taken in all its forms, it accounts for nearly 2% of the weight of the crnst of the Earth. 

Phosphorus is available in two forms, white (or yellow) and red. White phosphorus appears to be molecular, with a formula of P,. It is a waxy solid with a melting point of 44°C, and ignites spontaneously on exposure to air. It must be kept cool and is usually stored under water. It is highly toxic in both the solid and vapor form and causes burns on contact with the skin. Its use in pyrotechnics is limited to incendiary and white smoke compositions. The white smoke consists of the combustion product, primarily phosphoric acid (H 3PO,). 

The most common elemental form of phosphorus, white phosphorus, is highly toxic. White phosphorus (melting point (mp), 44°C boiling point (bp), 280°C) is a colorless waxy solid, sometimes with a yellow tint. It ignites spontaneously in air to yield a dense fog of finely divided, highly deliquescent P4O10 ... 

Phosphorus has many allotropes. The most common of these is white phosphorus, which exists in two modifications, a-P4 (cubic) and p-P4 (hexagonal). Condensation of phosphorus from the gas or liquid phases (both of which contain tetrahedral P4 molecules) gives primarily the a form, which slowly converts to the P form at temperatures above —76.9°C. During slow air oxidation, a-P4 emits a yellow-green light, an example of phosphorescence that has been known since antiquity (and is the source of the name of this element) to slow such oxidation, white phosphorus is commonly stored under water. White phosphorus was once used in matches however, its extremely high toxicity has led to its replacement by other materials, especially P4S3 and red phosphorus, which are much less toxic. 

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