I2 Skin exposure

[Red_Crown]

My arm recently came into contact with a chunk of wet I₂ that was noticed only after the subsequent sharp pain.  It looked and felt as though it had already 'permeated' a good distance into my tender forearm (- like so many plastic waste bags)..  Scrubbing and rinsing with water did very little to remove the spot, and only really served to distract from the digging sensation of the iodine. IPA was slightly more effective, but I was still scared scrubbing for 30 minutes. It hurt for hours and left a nice little stained induration which eventually settled. It still burns a bit though.    (..This should be a fun wound -- Do all halogen burns take a long time to heal or is that just bromine?)

The real quesiton:
- In the future, should such a mishap recur, is there a fast way to remove or neutralize I₂? 
- Might it have been better to let it dry facing up so it could sublimate away?

The MSDSs I found suggested a default 'wash with soap & water' but Red Crown's red arm wonders if any clever chem tricks might be known.. Thanks.

[ApprenticeCook]

The wash with soap and water is to remove any extra which is remaining on your skin, if its soaked in, its soaked in, you have to wait it out and just wash it each day in the shower, small stains take a few hours to go away but with you it may take a little longer. Soap and water in the shower each day, thats all.

Or is the pain really bad? in that case seek a doc.

[carbocation]

Try washing with sodium thiosulphate solution for the stained skin. Pain could just be from scrubbing. After washing with Sodium thiosulphate, make sure you keep the burn clean and dry.

[gluecifer69]

JOGO hand cleaner or some shit like that smells like orange swim has found to remove I stains.

Found in any automotive store, look under hand cleaner.  For clothes Oxy whatever , works wonders for I stains.

[Red_Crown]

Thanks for the tips..

At the time, the pain was distinctly from the iodine and not from the scrubbing w/ IPA. It hurt well enough (- but no more than, say, a Dominatrix would inflict that  you'd enjoy.   )

Interestingly, the mark went from the ~stain I meantioned to a scab that now is relatively pink, hard, level, and tranparent.    I suppose that makes sense since the iodine never "tore" through..

Is the sodium thiosulfate itself safe to put on the skin, and/or would it even be able to reach the sublimated I₂?  

From now on: Long sleeves - the underside of the forarms just are not epidermally up to par.

[unionpacific]

I was just wondering how you got iodine on your forearm ??

[Red_Crown]

A little bit fell off the spatula onto the tabletop when transferring to weighing paper.. Again, unnoticed (-that's the theme).  Later, when cleaning-up, I put my arm right on it for some reason or another.

This brings up the good reason why it is typically "lab bench" as opposed to "lab desk"...

[lugh]

From the Chemical Formulary

No 1

a. Potassium Iodide (10% solution)
b. Sodium Thiosulfate (10% solution)
c. Water
Apply in the order given, a may not be necessary.

No 2

Ammonia (sp gr 0.960

No 3

Sodium Bicarbonate, Powdered
Apply on the moistened stains.

No 4

This stain will gradually disappear of its own accord within a few weeks time. It may be quickly removed by applying alcohol and covering with whiting or talcum powder. If the stain is on a vertical wall, mix the talcum to a paste with alcohol, apply some alcohol to the stain, and then cover it with the paste. One application will usually prove sufficient.

No 3 seems to bee the best approach to stains on one's skin.