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Brenton Shields
Citric
acid is an organic acid that is often used as a preservative in foods or to
impart a sour flavor.
The
acid is most notably found in various fruits, including lemons, limes and
oranges.
Citric
acid is commonly found in laboratories, and though normally safe, there are a
few minor hazards associated with it.
You
may come into contact with it when handling citrus fruits or doing science
experiments.
Skin Irritation
Citric
acid can be a minor skin irritant, causing itchy skin and even minor burns to
those that are sensitive to it.
Hands
should be washed immediately if citric acid comes into contact with bare skin.
Protective
gloves should be worn during handling to avoid any accidental contact.
The
acid can also irritate the walls of the throat if ingested, or burn the lining
of your stomach if ingested in large quantities.
Eye Irritation
Citric
acid is a severe eye irritant.
Accidental
contact with the eyes can occur if the fruit is squeezed and the juice squirts
out or by touching the eyes after the acid has contacted the fingertips, which
may happen whenever you're preparing lemons, oranges or other citrus fruits.
Protective
eyewear should be worn when working with citric acid under laboratory
conditions.
Eyes
should be flushed with water immediately if they happen to come in contact with
the acid.
Tooth Corrosion
Consumption
of citric acid can lead to the gradual corrosion of tooth enamel. This can be a
problem with drinks that contain the acid, like lemonade, orange juice, and
many carbonated soft drinks.
Corrosion
can be curtailed by using straws to drink such liquids, as the acid will bypass
the teeth.
False Carcinogen
The
Villejuif leaflet was a false scientific document passed around in the 1980s
that included citric acid on its list of 10 potential carcinogenic substances.
However,
citric acid has no scientific connection to cancer and is a perfectly safe food
additive.
The
error in the report was purportedly due to linguistic confusion, as citric acid
is part of a biological cycle known as the Krebs Cycle, with "Krebs"
loosely translating to "cancer" in German.
Brenton
Shields
began writing professionally in 2009. His work includes film reviews that
appear for the online magazine Los Angeles Chronicle. He received a Bachelor of
Science in social science and history from Radford University.
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