Why Should You Never Mix Chemicals Together – Know The Hazards

Many chemicals have been used in our daily life. The example of daily chemicals is cleaning products, flavoring products, laboratory reagents, and etc. Several chemicals shouldn’t be mixed together. Why? It’s proved that mixing both of chemical products together can create much more cleanliness than using one product only. Furthermore, the combined products can generate great impacts for product’s effectivity.

Why should you never mix chemicals together? The terrifying truth is mixing both of products can cause harmful gases or another chemical reactions. Therefore, these chemicals couldn’t be placed together to avoid any dangerous and unwanted situation. Have you heard about the accident which can be occurred because of chemical reaction between these materials? Make sure you store the chemical materials in the right condition based on the written instructions which have been given or labeled in the product’s container.

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Here are several examples of chemicals which should be avoided each other.

  1. Acids with cyanide salts or cyanide solution – They will react and generate highly poisonous hydrogen cyanide gas.
  2. Acids with sulfide salts or sulfide solutions – They will react and produce highly toxic hydrogen sulfide gas.
  3. Acids with bleach – Cleaning agents often contain hydrochloric acid. The reaction between acids with bleach will produce highly toxic chlorine gas. If this gas is inhaled, there are several symptoms which can be appeared, such as shortness of breath and chest pain. This gas was first used to kill during world war period. Besides, chlorine can attack the skin and mucous membrane, which resulting in pain, inflammation, and swelling. The lightest effect is cough and irritating eyes, noses, and mouth.
  4. The reaction between ammonia with bleach could release toxic chloramine vapors and may lead to create toxic hydrazine – How does it react? Your eyes and respiratory system will be burned by chloramine and can also lead to internal organ damage. If there is enough ammonia in mixture, hydrazine would be produced. Hydrazine is toxic, yet potentially very explosive. The worst thing would be happened is death.
  5. Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and rubbing alcohol will generate toxic chloroform – This gas was being used by kidnappers to knock out their victims. First, it can make the victim dizzy or nauseous. The inhaled chloroform will unable to move the fresh air. Another compound which will be produced includes chloroacetone, dichloroacetone, and hydrochloric acid. How can it attack the victim? Breathing too much can be one method of killing yourself. Hydrochloric acid will give a chemical burn to the victims. The chemical reaction will also cause organ damage and lead to cancer and other diseases in future life.
  6. Vinegar which contains acid and peroxide will generate peracetic acid, which can irritate your eyes and nose and even produce chemical burn – The resulting chemical is a more potent disinfectant, but also corrosive and explosive. Be careful with paracetic acid.
  7. Peroxide and henna hair dye can result a hair nightmare – This chemical reaction will be happen if you color your hair by yourself. Chemical hair dye packages warn not to use the product you have colored your hair using a henna hair dye. What does the warning mean? Henna products, other than red, contain metallic salts. Metal reacts with hydrogen peroxide in other hair colors in an exothermic reaction, which cause a skin reaction and makes you burned. Even, your hair will be fall out and remain a scary unpredictable color. 
  8. Baking soda and vinegar will produce mostly water – This chemical reaction is different with another reaction. This result will bring no harm because they neutralize each other. It means that you will lose the profitable impact to your cleaning. Sodium bicarbonate in baking soda will react with vinegar to produce carbon dioxide gas, sodium acetate, and mostly water. The phenomenon of mixing the chemicals will help you in producing hot ice to your science project. Interesting, right?
  9. AHA or Glycolic Acid and retinol will just waste your money – Skincare products which aimed to lessen the wrinkles include alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), glycolic acid, and retinol. The acids will reduce the effectiveness of retinol. Actually skincare products work best at a certain acidity level or pH range. When mixing the products, the pH will be changed. What could it be? AHA and glycolic acid loosen dead skin and even your skin will be more irritated. It means that you just waste your money for vain result.
  10. Drain cleaners and more drain cleaner – Some drain cleaners are alkaline, while others are acidic. Potential hazard of mixing acidic and alkaline drain cleaners is that they can generate a lot of heat, which could damage PVC pipes or cause dangerously high pressures that can burst any type of pipe. Sometimes, it could cause skin burn and irritation, even detonation.

Please keep in mind for always using safety protective equipment, gears, and glasses when mixing two or more chemicals altogether. Since many chemical mixtures will generate toxic or flammable gases. It’s important to have a fire extinguisher and prepare the window ventilation. Always prepare caution performing any chemical reaction near open flame or heat source.

In laboratory, avoid mixing chemicals near burners to prevent the fire. Last but not the least, to avoid the common reaction which will be took place, label the chemicals and store them separately in a right condition. That’s why should you never mix chemicals together cause it can be so dangerous! 

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What is the first aid toward the chemical reaction?

  1. Get away from the site. Immediately, move yourself to fresh air area and seek emergency medical aid.
  2. Call the emergency help.
  3. Seek proper cleanup and disposal instructions. Ventilate the area before returning the dispose of the compound and start cleanup.

To conclude, the chemical materials couldn’t ever been mixed together if you don’t know about the possible reaction which will be happened. Furthermore, understand chemical reactivity hazards from mixing incompatible chemicals and always follow the suitable procedures to prevent hazardous interactions among chemicals. Keeping in mind that safety comes first. If you have to blend the chemicals purposely, always wear necessarily equipment.