Which Causes More Eye Damage: Acid or Base?

[Emmanuel_Euler]

What causes more damage to the eye?

acid or base or both of them?? and why??

 

[Simon Bridge]

Acids and bases have varying strengths so a strong acid will do more damage than a weak base etc. Equal strength would have equal damage - since this is usuallywhat "strength" means in this context. So the short answer is "it depends".

 

[Borek]

How do you define "amount of damage"?

 

[rootone]

The eye is a complex delicate organic structure.
Exposure to either concentrated nitric acid or concentrated sodium hydroxide will damage it it disasteriously.

 

[Dr.ahmad adnan]

i think most of the bases and acids have damage to the eye...

i don't say all bases and acids i saied most of...

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

i think most of the bases and acids have damage to the eye...

i know, thank you for reply.
but what about weak acids and weak bases??

like C6H8O7, NH3

 

[rootone]

Weak acids and bases;
Probably if flushed with water very quickly the damage would be very little, and the damaged tissue might even regenerate to some point.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

i don't say all bases and acids i saied most of...

friend.acid is acid and base is base.
all causes damage to the eyes.

Weak acids and bases;
Probably if flushed with water very quickly the damage would be very little, and the damaged tissue might even regenerate to some point.

you are right.

 

[Borek]

all causes damage to the eyes.

Please don't post nonsense when you have no idea what you are talking about. Many eye medicines are weak acids and weak bases, yet they are not dangerous for eyes, quite the opposite.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

oops you are right borek.
but not all weak acids and weak bases.
am i wrong??

http://www.ophthobook.com/questions/question-what-chemical-is-worse-to-get-in-the-eye-an-acid-or-base

 

[Borek]

You are looking for simple answers to poorly defined questions. Sorry, but there is simply no way to answer them in a meaningful way.

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

Please don't post nonsense when you have no idea what you are talking about. Many eye medicines are weak acids and weak bases, yet they are not dangerous for eyes, quite the opposite.

http://pain.com/archives/2012/05/22-chemical-burns-eyes/

 

[Borek]

But you are aware of the fact that it is a dose that makes a poison? That the effect depends on the concentration? That even relatively concentrated solutions of weak acids and weak bases may have pH quite close to the physiological one? That solutions that are neither acidic nor basic can harm the eye and be quite dangerous?

What is the weakest thing in your room?

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

what wrong with you borek?
what do you mean(What is the weakest thing in your room?)?
can you explain please ?
friend i am not here to fight .
i just want to know what causes more damage to the eye (acids or bases) .
and you are saying that my question is( poorly defined questions)... can you tell or teach me how to write questions??
as i said before i am not here to fight (dear borek) i am here for the science!

 

[Emmanuel_Euler]

thank all who helped me (rootone,Dr.ahmad adnan,Simon Bridge,borek)

 

[Borek]

what do you mean(What is the weakest thing in your room?)?

This is an example of a poor question, which can be understood in many ways.

can you tell or teach me how to write questions??

I am afraid it is not that simple. That is - you have to learn not about asking questions, but about things themselves. Once you know and understand enough physics and chemistry, you should start to see why questions you are asking are ambiguous. I gave you examples of things that make the question unclear, but so far you never tried to address them.

 

[MolecBiologist]

Although the molarity (strength, if you will) of the acid or base certainly affects the answer, there is a reason that base (alkaline) is much worse to get into the eye than acid of equimolar concentration. There is a difference in how the two behave. For instance, you can store nitric acid in a glass container, but not sodium hydroxide. Strong sodium hydroxide will etch glass.

Acid interacts with proteins in the fluid and outer layers of the eye forming a neutralizing "shell" of sorts. This prevents the acid from eroding deeper into the eyeball. But a base like sodium hydroxide does not interact in the same way and will continue to erode deeper and deeper into the eye. This means that you can flush acid out of an eye, but may never be able to adequately flush base to prevent further damage. Don't get the idea that you can regularly rinse your eyes with acid. It WILL cause burns. But acting quickly can limit the damage. The same is not true of getting concentrated base into your eye.

This information comes from an MD specializing in treating injuries to the eye. He said he would much rather deal with acid burns than with an eye exposed to strong base.

 

[Evo]

Although the molarity (strength, if you will) of the acid or base certainly affects the answer, there is a reason that base (alkaline) is much worse to get into the eye than acid of equimolar concentration. There is a difference in how the two behave. For instance, you can store nitric acid in a glass container, but not sodium hydroxide. Strong sodium hydroxide will etch glass.

Acid interacts with proteins in the fluid and outer layers of the eye forming a neutralizing "shell" of sorts. This prevents the acid from eroding deeper into the eyeball. But a base like sodium hydroxide does not interact in the same way and will continue to erode deeper and deeper into the eye. This means that you can flush acid out of an eye, but may never be able to adequately flush base to prevent further damage. Don't get the idea that you can regularly rinse your eyes with acid. It WILL cause burns. But acting quickly can limit the damage. The same is not true of getting concentrated base into your eye.

This information comes from an MD specializing in treating injuries to the eye. He said he would much rather deal with acid burns than with an eye exposed to strong base.

Do you have any peer reviewed sources? We ask for the sources to stated facts as it helps to clarify and answer associated questions. Thanks!