> ... I really wonder whether Allen appreciates the hazards of using
> formic acid, oxalic acid as well.

>... flesh burnt from his legs, another of a beekeeper with flesh hanging
> from his fingers... eye damage, all caused by one of the above
> mentioned so called, "soft chemicals"...

Thanks for your concern.  I wonder too.  I am trying to get an understanding of
all the implications the use of acids in mite control and need all the
information I can get, so I appreciate your taking the position of critic in
this.

>From what I have been able to ascertain, both first hand and by reading,
handling acids is not a mysterious or uncommon process.  There are dangers,
granted, but they are manageable.  Many, many times every day most of us come
within a few feet of death as tons of metal and glass hurtle by at relative
speeds of over 60 MPH, but we hardly notice, because we believe that we can
manage the risks.   And we do.  My father worked with large amounts of acids and
elecrolytes for quite a few years of his life.  I have personally and casually
stood within scant feet of many tons of raw metal ore heated to incandescent
temperatures.  When I weld, I have in my hands a device that, if turned upon me
by accident could scorch me to the bone in less than a second, yet these torches
are routinely used by unskilled and untrained people without more than an
occasional incident.   As children, we were trusted to handle nitric and
sulphuric and other acids routinely in high school labs, so they are not
unfamiliar to most of us, and we assume we can manage them.

I really don't know how the incidents in the slides you describe may have
happened, but I am very interested to know the particulars.  I hope you will
enlighten us with details.  My guess is that the injuries occurred typically
when acid got into contact with people who were numbed, careless, or or unable
to move and they did not recognise contact with the acid; or ocurred when a
catastrophic event like a big spill happened.

Danger of eye injury is one thing that cannot be exaggerated; I am very
concerned about this possibility from splashes.  This is a real danger any place
open acid is found.  Nonetheless, minor splashes may not necessarily result in
lasting damage if remedial measures are available and taken immediately.

Although I may have sounded a bit cavalier in my description of our acid mixing
activities, I can assure you that we were very serious and careful in actual
fact.  I'm afraid that my description may have been a slightly jocular reaction
to horror stories I've heard and not seen substantiated.  I'm afraid such
exaggerated warnings serve us badly, since they tend to reduce, rather than
enhance our respect for dangerous substances.  When we approach with
trepidation, then find we appear to have been misled, we often discount the
dangers too much.  If I did so, and I gave the impression that I think these
chemicals are a playtoy, please forgive me.  That was not my intent.

I think a factor that must be appreciated is that the acid which we use in the
field is dilute to 65% and also fully absorbed into the pads.  That is not to
say that there is no danger, but even if a pail of pads were dumped, little acid
would be liberated.  Perhaps someone could be careless and sit on a pad, but
then again, we had a fellow who managed to burn his hand on a forklift muffler
than no one else managed to contact. I am very careful to try to forsee any
potential accidents and personally I could not bring myself to truck around
liquid acid to use filling individual Nassenheider evaporators, for instance.

Anyhow, I am appreciate your sober warnings and I am very interested in any true
stories that might be illustrative of real dangers.

allen
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