Hydrofluoric acid is a corrosive colorless fuming liquid or gas with a strong irritating odor. It is used in etching glass and in making other chemicals, including gasoline. Contact can severely burn the skin and eyes, resulting in permanent eye damage or blindness. Long term exposure may damage the liver and kidneys, and causes fluorosis, with symptoms of weight loss, malaise, anemia, and osteosclerosis. It is used as a fumigant and in making lubricants, detergents, and other chemicals.
Acute exposure can severely burn the skin and eyes.
Inhaling the vapor can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs, and cause difficulty breathing. Exposure can lead to headache, dizziness, and passing out. It may be shipped and stored as a compressed liquefied gas. Acute exposure irritates the eyes and air passages. High exposures to the skin and eyes can cause severe burns and blindness, and breathing high levels can lead to death.