Tag: Hydrofluoric acid

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to hydrofluoric acid can be fatal even at low concentrations. The specific chemical burn that can cause hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia is caused by hydrofluoric acid (HF), a substance whose systemic toxicity is uniquely dangerous. Unlike other acids, its ability to penetrate deep tissue and sequester essential electrolytes creates a life-threatening medical emergency.

While hydrochloric acid in the stomach aids digestion, many other acids pose severe risks to human health, with hydrofluoric acid being among the most dangerous due to its unique ability to cause systemic poisoning and deadly cardiac arrhythmias. The question of which acid is not good for humans is best answered by highlighting those with extreme corrosive properties and additional systemic toxicity, not just those that cause surface burns.