Chemical Exposure!

Stadtjunky

Hi,

Thanks for taking the time to read this! I'm student chemist (only 21), and last week I got exposed to alot of methyl iodide when I spilt some dissolved in DCM onto my hand, although I was wearing nitrile gloves I think the chemical passed straight through, I had some skin irritation the next day. Now, after reading up so much about MeI, I'm paranoid that I'll get cancer. Am I being reasonable in worrying about getting cancer because of this exposure?

I seen a doctor, he says it's extremely unlikely, but isn't it also extremely unlikely that someone would have this sort of accident?

Many, many thanks,

John

chemisttree

You shouldn't be using nitrile with DCM. Nitrile is not an effective barrier for it.

Lucky for you that MeI might not be that bad an actor. It is only classified A2 (suspected human carcinogen) by ACGIH and is not classified a human carcinogen by IARC. Still, it doesn't hurt to be more careful.

Your lab needs to get a handle on PPO if you intend to work with DCM. Use these for DCM.

gabriels-horn

Methyl iodide is a common reagent. Any kind of halide causes irritation/inflamation. Now if were hydrofluoric acid that touched you I would be drinking milk like theres no tommorow.

Stadtjunky

Have you ever been exposed to this, or know anyone that has and hasn't got cancer? I mean, like, dermal exposure?

Should the nitrile gloves stop DCM getting through for like 10 seconds perhaps?

gabriels-horn

How much are we talking about here exactly? A 1 L bottle, 100 mL?

Stadtjunky

I would estimate about 10-15 mls of this mixture fell onto my gloves (which stayed on my hands for like 5-6 seconds). The mixture had about 10% pure MeI, the rest was DCM.

gabriels-horn

Relax then. Don't get too worried about 1 mL of methyl iodide. You're bound to have slip ups every once and a while. Just be cautious when using hazardous stuff, read the MSDS before you work with something (useful info in there) and avoid hydrofluoric acid.

Stadtjunky

It obviously got through my skin if my skin was red and irritated :(

But you think the risk is small?

Borek

Your chances of getting hit by some car today when you will be going home are probably still higher then dying of cancer because of that spill.

Relax and concentrate, don't let that car kill you just because you are preoccupied with fear - you will increase number of methyl iodide victims.

Stadtjunky

But are you aware of the toxicity of this deadly compound? :(

Borek

As you were told - it is not as deadly as you seem to be thinking. You already did what you should - you have visited your doctor. Good decision. Now there are three other things to do. First one - accept what you have been told by everyone - you are on the safe side. Second one - make resolution to be less clumsy in the lab (not that it will work, how many times did I tell that to myself...). Third one - open a beer and watch some movie that puts you in a good mood. Stop worrying, it makes you look ugly and live shorter.

Stadtjunky

Thanks Borek, I really appreciate your response. As a chemist surely it's not un-normal to have a few sleepless nights worrying about the toxicity of various chemicals, espicially if you're young and inexperienced?

Borek

Dangers that most of the chemists deal with are overrated. Sure, there are substances that should be treated with extreme caution, but accidental & temporary exposition to small amounts of most of the chemicals used in labs is not dangerous. It doesn't mean we shouldn't pay attention or ignore risks, but loosing a sleep is overreacting.

I don't blame you. We live in a world where fear mongering and media hype make most people chemophobic.

lisab

It should be standard practice to consult an MSDS to educate yourself of the hazards *before* you work with a chemical. A good MSDS will mention what PPE you need.

Since MSDSs go by different names in different countries, here's the wiki -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_safety_data_sheet

Stadtjunky

I guess so. Have you had any chemical exposures in the past that worried you?

Stadtjunky

Of course I always do this. But it was spilled on my hand through no fault of my own.

Borek

Worried? No. Exposure? On many occasions. Acids, bases, solvents, reagents. Including story described here. Part of the mixture reaction landed on my face. It tasted like Lugol's solution.

Now, it was almost 30 years ago and I have no doubts our labs were much less safe than they are today. We were in lab coats and at some more dangerous moments in glasses, but we were pipetting everything by mouth and gloves were unheard off. Still, during about ten years I have spent at the University the most serious accident I remember was when a friend of mine burnt (burnt? scalded? not sure about the correct word) himself with a phosphoric acid. That left nasty scar on his arm. I have not heard about anyone of my fellow students getting ill and dying because of the exposure to chemicals, so obviously even at this relatively low level safety regime chemistry wasn't that dangerous.