From https://www.iloencyclopaedia.org/part-xviii-10978/guide-to-chemicals/item/1029-acids-and-anhydrides-organic/
Oxalic acid is a strong acid
which, in solid form or in concentrated solutions, can cause burns of the skin,
eyes or mucous membranes; oxalic acid concentrations as low as 5 to 10% are
irritating if exposure is prolonged. Human fatalities have been recorded
following ingestion of as little as 5 g of oxalic acid. The symptoms appear
rapidly and are marked by a shock-like state, collapse and convulsive seizures.
Such cases may show marked renal damage with precipitation of calcium oxalate
in the renal tubules. The convulsive seizures are thought to be the result of
hypocalcaemia. Chronic skin exposure to solutions of oxalic acid or potassium
oxalate have been reported to have caused a localized pain and cyanosis in the
fingers or even gangrenous changes. This is apparently due to a localized
absorption of the oxalic acid and a resultant arteritis. Chronic systemic
injury from inhalation of oxalic acid dust appears to be very rare, although
the literature describes the case of a man who had been exposed to hot oxalic
acid vapours (probably containing an aerosol of oxalic acid) with generalized
symptoms of weight loss and chronic inflammation of the upper respiratory
tract. Because of the strongly acid nature of the dust of oxalic acid, exposure
must be carefully controlled and work area concentrations held within
acceptable health limits.
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