How to prevent and provide first aid for the deadly "bone water" poisoning? On September 15th, the Xianlin Street Office in Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, issued a situation report stating that a 52 year old woman accidentally came into contact with discarded hydrofluoric acid while walking in an open space, resulting in acute poisoning. After being sent to the hospital for rescue, she unfortunately died despite efforts to save her. This matter has attracted widespread attention from society. Subsequently, topics such as "serious consequences if hydrofluoric acid touches half a finger" quickly sparked discussions on social media. What is hydrofluoric acid? How dangerous is it? In response to this, our reporter interviewed Ye Qiao, Chief Physician of the Department of Occupational Disease and Poisoning Medicine at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University. Reporter: What kind of chemical is hydrofluoric acid? Why is it called 'bone water'? What are the main aspects of its danger? Ye Qiao: Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is a weak acid but highly corrosive and systemically toxic hazardous chemical. Hydrofluoric acid is a fluorine-containing inorganic acid that often exists in colorless or slightly yellow aqueous solutions and has a strong pungent odor. Compared to strong acids such as hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, although a weak acid, has extremely high chemical activity and can react with silicon dioxide in glass to produce volatile silicon tetrafluoride. Therefore, it must be stored in plastic containers such as polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene. Hydrofluoric acid molecules have a small volume and strong polarity, and can quickly penetrate the skin, mucosa, and even bone tissue. Its danger is mainly reflected in two aspects: first, strong corrosiveness, which has a strong corrosive effect on materials such as metals, glass, ceramics, and concrete; The second is strong penetrability, which can quickly penetrate the skin and invade deep tissues, causing deep damage to the body. Therefore, some people in the folk refer to it as "bone water". It is precisely because hydrofluoric acid has strong corrosive chemical properties that it has become a key raw material for the fluorination industry and plays an important role. Hydrofluoric acid is widely used in glass etching and cleaning, metal surface treatment, chemical synthesis to prepare various inorganic fluorides (such as aluminum fluoride), organic fluorides (such as Freon), alkylation processes in the petroleum industry, and silicon wafer cleaning and etching in the electronics industry. Reporter: Which professions or groups are most susceptible to exposure to hydrofluoric acid? Who needs to pay special attention to protection? Ye Qiao: The high-risk groups for exposure to hydrofluoric acid mainly include frontline operators in industries such as glass etching and processing, semiconductor and electronic manufacturing, metal pickling and titanium zirconium refining, petroleum refining and alkylation, fluorine chemical production, and chemical laboratories. These positions come into direct contact with hydrofluoric acid solution or gas during glass carving, silicon wafer etching, stainless steel pickling, catalyst use, fluoride synthesis, or experimental operations. Relevant employees must operate in a closed or well ventilated environment, wear fluorine resistant rubber or butyl rubber gloves, goggles, masks, acid proof aprons, and have calcium gluconate gel and shower equipment on site. At the same time, they must receive systematic training and emergency drills to effectively prevent hydrofluoric acid inhalation, skin penetration, and chemical poisoning. Reporter: What protective measures should be taken in advance if hydrofluoric acid needs to be used? What operational standards need to be strictly followed? Ye Qiao: Before using hydrofluoric acid, operators need to receive specialized training and understand emergency response procedures. They must strictly wear protective equipment as required, including fluorine resistant rubber or butyl rubber gloves, acid resistant aprons, long sleeved protective clothing, goggles, and face shields. If necessary, respiratory protective equipment should be equipped. The workplace shall be well ventilated or closed, and emergency supplies such as shower device, eye washer, 2.5% calcium gluconate gel, etc. shall be provided on site. During the operation, any skin exposure should be avoided, and the speed of acid preparation and transfer should be strictly controlled. Glass containers are prohibited and corrosion-resistant materials such as polyethylene or polytetrafluoroethylene should be selected; It is strictly prohibited to mix with strong alkali, ammonia water, or metal powder. Keep away from high temperatures and open flames to prevent splashing and violent collisions. After the operation is completed, the protective equipment and workbench should be thoroughly cleaned, and the waste liquid should be stored and disposed of according to the hazardous chemical regulations to ensure that the use of hydrofluoric acid is always controlled and safe. Reporter: If you accidentally come into contact with hydrofluoric acid, what are the correct emergency measures to take at the scene of the incident? Ye Qiao: Once the skin comes into contact with hydrofluoric acid, contaminated clothing and shoes should be immediately removed to fully expose the injured area. Then, immediately rinse with plenty of flowing water for 15-30 minutes or more. Do not bandage or neutralize with alkaline solution. After washing, 2.5% calcium gluconate gel should be repeatedly applied and gently massaged as soon as possible. If the pain lasts or the burn area is large, medical personnel should inject calcium gluconate around the wound. In short, it is necessary to quickly remove toxins, thoroughly wash the skin, use calcium gluconate in a timely manner, and seek medical attention as soon as possible to reduce deep tissue necrosis and systemic poisoning. Reporter: Is it possible for ordinary people to unintentionally come into contact with hydrofluoric acid in their daily lives? How to identify and avoid such risks? What is the correct response when encountering containers of unknown origin, such as plastic drums, metal cans, glass bottles, etc., especially those with corrosion markings, skull patterns, or unclear labels? Ye Qiao: Although ordinary people do not directly use hydrofluoric acid in their daily lives, they may still accidentally come into contact with hydrofluoric acid due to illegal resale, leakage of waste chemicals, or conversion of second-hand chemical containers to civilian use. Hydrofluoric acid is mostly stored in polyethylene or plastic drums, and may also appear in containers such as metal cans and glass bottles, usually labeled as "corrosive", "toxic", or hazardous chemicals such as skull and crossbones; If the label is unclear or the source is unknown, it should be considered a high-risk chemical and should not be opened, dumped, sniffed, touched or moved by hand. The correct approach is to maintain a safe distance, ensure good ventilation, avoid children and pets from approaching, and immediately contact the local emergency management, environmental protection, or fire department for identification and disposal by professional personnel. Reporter: From a clinical medical perspective, what are the main challenges in treating patients with hydrofluoric acid burns? What is the currently widely used effective treatment plan? Ye Qiao: The treatment of hydrofluoric acid burns requires multidisciplinary involvement. Hydrofluoric acid molecules have a small volume and strong permeability, which can quickly penetrate the skin and deep into soft tissues and bones. Pain often appears several hours later and is easily underestimated in the early stages. The fluoride ions entering the body will combine with calcium and magnesium in the blood, causing hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, severe arrhythmia, and even multiple organ failure. It is necessary to balance the treatment of local tissue damage and systemic poisoning. The commonly adopted treatment scheme includes fully washing the injured, immediately and continuously washing to dilute and remove the residual acid, external application of 2.5% calcium gluconate gel as soon as possible or local subcutaneous injection to neutralize fluoride ions, intravenous supplementation of calcium gluconate for deep or large area injuries, close monitoring and correction of blood calcium, magnesium levels and ECG changes, and joint analgesia and surgical debridement when necessary. Reporter: What are the more common corrosive compounds in households? How should the public protect themselves? What suggestions do you have? Ye Qiao: Common corrosive chemicals in households include acids (such as dilute hydrochloric acid in toilet cleaners, sulfuric acid in pipeline uncloggers), alkalis (such as sodium hydroxide in degreasers or uncloggers), and chlorine containing oxidants (such as sodium hypochlorite in 84 disinfectant), all of which may cause damage to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract, and release toxic gases when mixed with acid, alkali, or chloramine. The key points of protection are not mixing, storing separately, maintaining good ventilation, and wearing chemical resistant gloves, goggles, and necessary masks during operation; Before use, read the instructions and follow the principle of "adding water before adding medicine" for dilution. Cover immediately after use. When encountering or inhaling irritating gases, immediately rinse with plenty of water or transfer to a well ventilated area and seek medical attention as soon as possible. Neutral cleaning agents or 75% alcohol, hot steam, and other alternatives to strong acids and alkalis can be used for daily cleaning to reduce risks. (New Society)