Re: Non Radioactive Hazard Response - Picric Acid

["Stephen Deitch" <sdeitch@nssihouston.com>]

Regarding picric acid explosions -- this is only a qualitative response --
picric acid or trinitrophenol (trinitrohydroxy benzene) is approximately as
energetic a compound as its cousin trinitrotoluene (trinitromethyl benzene).
20  grams could have caused significant damage to a laboratory and to people
in the room, but not to the building.  fyi, metal picrates, as might form
under the metal lids of picric acid jars as said to also be of explosive
potential and much "touchier" with regard to the shock needed for
detonation.  Picric acid was once used for burn treatment.  Very old picric
acid is sometimes found with very old first aid materials.

Stephen Deitch
NSSI
713 641-01391
sdeitch@nssihouston.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Vernig, Peter G. <Peter.Vernig@med.va.gov>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: May 11, 1999 2:13 PM
Subject: Non Radioactive Hazard Response - Picric Acid


>Group,
>
>This involves a picric acid incident.  I hope it isn't too far out of the
HP
>field.  I am on the hazmat team here, it's a way of getting them
appropriate
>radioactive spill training and providing backup for myself, I have no
staff.
>Anyway we had about 20 grams of dried out picric acid to deal with.  It was
>successfully and uneventfully hydrated.  For those unfamiliar, picric acid
>is safe when hydrated but is a touchy explosive dry.  Can anyone give me an
>idea of how big of an explosion it might have been if it had exploded?
>
>Peter G. Vernig
>Radiation Safety Officer
>VA Medical Center, Denver
>
>1055 Clermont Street, Denver, CO 80220
>ATTN:  RSO, Mail Stop 115
>peter.vernig@med.va.gov
>303-399-8020 ex 2447
>FAX 303-393-5026
>
>Any opinions expressed in this message are solely my own and do not
>necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of the Denver VA Medical Center,
>The Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or the U.S. Government.
>
>"You win some.  You lose some.  And some get rained out."  Y. Berra
>
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