Skin contact results in painful deep-seated burns that are slow to heal. Hydrofluoric acid and HF vapor can cause severe burns to the eyes, which may lead to permanent damage and blindness. At 10 to 15 ppm, HF vapor is irritating to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract. Exposure to higher concentrations can result in serious damage to the lungs, and fatal pulmonary edema may develop after a delay of several hours. Ingestion of HF can produce severe injury to the mouth, throat, and gastrointestinal tract and may be fatal.
Hydrofluoric acid is a clear, colorless liquid, miscible with water, with an acrid, irritating odor.
It is an extremely corrosive liquid and vapor that can cause severe injury via skin and eye contact, inhalation, or ingestion. HF has not been reported to be a human carcinogen. It also attacks carbonaceous natural material such as woody materials, leather, and rubber. Some materials resist the corrosive action of the acid, such as platinum, wax, polypropylene, polyethylene, and Teflon. In contact with metals with which it will react, hydrogen gas is liberated and the danger exists of a spark or flame resulting in an explosion.