[BetaAmyloid]

I have an unkown brown stain on my two hands and above my eyebrow. I believe that it is there because of handling chemicals in the lab today while we were doing an electrochemical voltaic cell lab.

The chemicals we used included zinc, lead, copper, iron, silver, and potassium. I just wanted to make sure that the chemical is not harmful. Also, the stain keeps itching, at first notice it had a burning sensation.

So, are the stains fine?

[nj_bartel]

silver nitrate solution was one of them I assume?

[BetaAmyloid]

Yes, most of them were nitrates.

[nj_bartel]

The stains should be fine.  If I had to guess, it's deposited silver from the silver nitrate.  If you spill silver nitrate solution on your skin, you need to immediately rinse the area with sodium thiosulfate to avoid staining.  The stains should be around for about 2 weeks.

[BetaAmyloid]

Alright, well thanks! I was just wondering, because they didn't appear immediately...it was probably 15 to 20 minutes (well...at least until I noticed) that the stains were there. What would happen if this got in someone's eye (just wondering because its on top of my eyebrow)?

Thanks again

[nj_bartel]

If what got in your eye? silver or silver nitrate soln?

[BetaAmyloid]

Well, just to know, how about both!

[skyjumper]

Silver nitrate is an oxidizer, and thats never too good for flesh. And a "silver" solution would be chunks of silver (or melted silver, in which case there is more pertinent issues than eye contact).

[Borek]

Note that silver nitrate was used to cure warts. When I was a kid it was sold in drugstores in the form of rods to "paint" warts. We were stained quite often.

[408]

It was also commonplace not so long ago to use silver nitrate as a 'few week' tattoo.

The first layer of skin is dead anyway, silver reduction occurs quickly.  I never really attributed any negative consequence other than aesthetics...

[Sep]

The stains should be fine.  If I had to guess, it's deposited silver from the silver nitrate.  If you spill silver nitrate solution on your skin, you need to immediately rinse the area with sodium thiosulfate to avoid staining.  The stains should be around for about 2 weeks.

do they pose a health hazard? I wouldn't mind blinging with silver in my skin.