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Questions tagged [toxicity]

Questions on the harmful effects of various substances on the human body, or biological organisms in general.

205 questions
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Toxicity of a sheet of lead?

I just went camping and someone brought a game from Australia. There was a wooden box with the top made of a thin, soft sheet of lead with a hole in it. The participants then throw coins at the box, and getting the coin inside gives some points,…
Mads Skjern
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Why is potassium ferrocyanide considered safe for consumption, when it is just one reaction away from the highly toxic potassium cyanide?

According to this answer, heating potassium ferrocyanide will decompose it into potassium cyanide. Now, potassium ferrocyanide is an approved anti-caking agent, and hence used in table salt, for example. Table salt is often heated as part of…
HRJ
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How long burned tobacco/cigarette smoke remain toxic?

It's hard to evaluate Environmental Tobacco Smoke lifecycle, it can certainly react, be absorbed by organisms, or be diluted in rain, and be emitted again from the ground. But in the end, I'm interested to understand (as a non expert) if the…
caub
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Do hard drive platters contain toxic chemicals?

So, I'm considering an Artsy Fartsy project with hard drive platters. Being mildly aware of the world around me, I've come to the conclusion that I probably shouldn't grind up modern (or any) electronics and drink it for tea. To that end, is there…
Sidney
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Is Blue Silica Gel more harmful than the Orange ones?

I am currently searching for a portable dehumidifier but notice that most of them come with a indicator that actually using the Blue Silica Gel, which I believe that it may contain Cobalt Chloride. So, I would like to ask, (1) if that is the case,…
Jack
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Would standing next to a pool of mercury do you any harm?

I was watching this clip from the 2017 film The Mummy in which the characters stand next to a pool of mercury which was being used as part of an elaborate prison. Several comments under this video imagine that standing next to a pool of mercury…
Au101
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Dangers of corroded mercury battery

Disclaimer: Sorry if this is not a pure chemistry question. If it's better suited to another SE, I'm happy to have it migrated there. I'm in the process of cleaning my father's workshop, and recently discovered an old Duracell mercury battery…
Étienne Bézout
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Chemical Spill in Charleston, West Virginia

I live in Charleston, WV. On 1/9/2014 we were told not to use our tap water for anything other than flushing the toilet after a storage facility leaked over 7,400 gallons of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol into the Elk river, less than two miles…
Andrew Neely
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What is the molecular mechanism of ammonia's toxicity?

How does it damage proteins/lipids/DNA? There seems to be surprisingly little literature on its toxicity.
InquilineKea
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Osmium tetroxide production

I know osmium powder will produce osmium tetroxide when exposed to air,but what about solid piece of osmium,such as pellet or ring,finely polished to minimize surface area,will this produce significant tetroxide at 24 degrees celsius air? How much…
wav scientist
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Could the inks used in Wonder Bread container have caused lead poisoning?

Decades ago I recall reading that the colorful wrapper of Wonder Bread was misprinted inside out and therefore the printed logo rubbed off on the bread itself, bread was used and kids ended up with lead poisoning. I do remember reading this but can…
Jeff
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How does selenium protect against mercury poisoning?

I have read that it is not essential to avoid fish with mercury in them if they also have a correspondingly high level of selenium because mercury poisoning is primarily primarily the result of mercury disabling selenium based antioxidants. How…
Joseph Hirsch
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Cubic zirconia additives and toxicity

What are cubic zirconia (CZ) gemstones usually colored with? According to wikipedia the following dopants are being used: Cerium Chromium Neodymium Erbium Titanium. Chromium is quite colorful and can be used for green CZ. However I'm worried about…
user
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Is turpentine (as a solvent in plant-based paints) toxic after application? How long?

Turpentine is often used as a solvent in plant-based paints. It is believed that turpentine is equally if not more toxic than white spirit (see Green Building Handbook. Volume 1 by Tom Woolley,Sam Kimmins, Paul Harrison and Rob Harrison. p.229). Is…
Myshkin
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Is Jet Fuel/Kerosene still toxic after drying out?

A friend of mine is currently living in India. The people she is living with just treated the wooden door with either kerosene or jet fuel (its not clear which of the both, as the language barrier makes communication rather difficult). We do now…
weidler
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