Oxygen

Agent Name
Oxygen
CAS Number
7782-44-7
Formula
O2
Major Category
Other Classes
Category
Inorganic Oxidizing Agents
Description
Light blue, odorless gas; [CHRIS] Transported as a compressed gas (cryogenic liquid); [CHEMINFO]
Sources/Uses
Used in steel furnaces, welding, metal cutting, metal hardening, rocket fuels, water treatment, medicine, and production of other chemicals; 21% of air; [CHEMINFO]
Comments
A powerful oxidizer and explosion hazard; Liquid may cause frostbite; Inhalation of 100% oxygen for 24 hours can cause pulmonary edema; Chronic exposure to high concentrations of oxygen can cause lung scarring; [CHEMINFO] Oxygen toxicity is observed in mechanically ventilated patients treated for hypoxic respiratory failure. Exposures to oxygen at FIO2 of 50 to 60% for more than 6 hours can cause lung injury including alveolar edema, formation of hyaline membranes, hypoxemia, and progressive fibrosis. [Cecil, p. 582]
Biomedical References

Diseases, Processes, and Activities Linked to This Agent

Processes