Is dry ice harmful to humans?

Answer 1

i would think so considering the fact that if you touch it your going to be sorry and if you do touch it then don't touch it for more than half a second.

Dry ice is highly dangerous.

1. if you hold it with your bare hands you will get frost bite.

2. if you hold a small piece of dry ice too close to a small animal then it will suffercate and kill the animal.

Answer 2

When used for long term cooling, dry ice is perfectly fine.

The problem comes when dry ice is used for creating smoke effects. Dry ice is just a big chunk of carbon dioxide. That CO2 turns to a gas at room temperature (the "smoke") and that gas is not a good thing to inhale. Breathing in too much carbon dioxide can effectively suffocate a person. In this manner, dry ice can be harmful.

Answer 3

Dry ice is indeed very dangerous if you don't take the right precautions when you handle it. For one, of course it is extremely cold. One touch without cryogenic gloves would make you end up having to lose that particular thing that you are touching it with, likely. The extreme temperature different between your finger and dry ice would cause it to stick to your finger, much like your tongue when you lick a metal pole in winter.

Also, although this is quite rare, sometimes if you are working with dry ice in a small, poorly ventilated area, the carbon dioxide that the dry ice emitts as it sublimes can be a danger, as carbon dioxide isn't very healthy for you and you can pass out or die from asphyxiation

Answer 4

Dry ice sublimates into carbon dioxide, breathing in too much carbon dioxide can cause suffocation. To avoid this make sure to work in a well ventilated room.

Click on the link for more dry ice safety tips.

Answer 5

Not really lethal. That would imply immediate death on contact.

Dry ice is made of CO2 so you cannot breath the vapour given off. If you become asphyxiated, move away and breath normal air, everything returns to normal. CO2 is not really poisonous, it's just not a good replacement for O2.

Dry ice can give you ice burns, due to it's low temperature and kill off living flesh.

Again, this is not very nice, but not instantly life threatening.

Answer 6

Its not toxic if you mean poison but it can cause skin damage and fatal if swallowed.

Answer 7

Yes. It is frozen carbon dioxide and contact with it can cause practically instantaneous frostbite.

Answer 8

Yes! It burns, its so cold!