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  • Calcium, magnesium and aluminium ions as decontaminating agents against dermal fluoride absorption following hydrofluoric acid exposure.

Calcium, magnesium and aluminium ions as decontaminating agents against dermal fluoride absorption following hydrofluoric acid exposure.

Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA (2020-11-24)
Suvarna Mini Vijayan, Thomas Göen, Kathrin Dennerlein, R E Horch, I Ludolph, Hans Drexler, Sonja Kilo
ABSTRACT

The fluoride ions of the industrially largely irreplaceable, locally corrosive hydrofluoric acid (HF) can scavenge cations in biological tissues, which explains their high toxic potential, and also leads to local acidification through proton release. The influence of three complexing agents, calcium (Ca2+) gluconate (as 2.5% Ca2+gel and individually (2.84%) or commercially (10%) formulated Ca2+solution), magnesium (Mg2+) gluconate (2.84%) solution and aluminium (Al3+) solution (Hexafluorine®, pure and diluted) on the absorption of fluoride following HF exposure (1-3 min, 100 μl, 30%/0.64 cm2) through human skin was investigated in an ex-vivo diffusion cell model. Fluoride absorption was assessed over 6-24 h and analysed with a fluoride electrode. Decreasing the contamination time reduced the fluoride absorption distinctly which was further reduced by the application of fluoride-binding decontamination agents (Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+) or water alone without being significantly different. Ca2+ appeared slightly more effective than Mg2+ in reducing fluoride absorption. Moreover, the addition of pH adjusting buffer promoted the decontamination efficacy. Fluoride-binding agents can facilitate the decontamination of dermal HF exposure. However, prompt decontamination appeared to be the key to successful limitation of fluoride absorption and pushes the choice of decontamination agent almost into the background.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Magnesium D-gluconate hydrate, ≥98% (HPLC)