On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 18:35:29 -0400, Bill Truesdell 
>Water actually kills more by far than all the other listed chemicals
combined. It is all in how you use it. 

Of course it's all in how it's used!  Water does not kill people on account
of its chemical properties! The MSDS is addressing the chemical properties
of the substance. Look, take a tablespoon of each of these things pure, then
you'll understand the relative danger. 

When you buy lye (oven cleaner), for example, it has been prediluted and it
is carefully labeled to inform the consumer about how to use it correctly. I
use a product which contains oxalic acid to remove stains from the sinks and
bath tub. 

My take on all of this is that responsible people will have no problem
handling oxalic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, you name it. But somebody
who is unfamiliar with the intensity of pure acids (or alkalis) ought not to
be messing around with them. That's all. When you recommend to somebody to
use a dangerous acid, you should warn them.

When I worked at the lab, I put together and maintained a notebook which
contained the MSDS for every chemical in the place, including relatively
benign stuff such as detergent and paint. I asked the Safety Inspector "Why
worry about stuff like detergent?" He said: "When used in in large
quantities many ordinary substances can be dangerous." Of course, the
corollary is that many dangerous substances are perfectly safe when properly
diluted and handled with care.

One time we dumped out some left-over corn syrup and it killed the grass
quicker than round-up. Stayed dead a long time too.

pb

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