Yellow phosphorus is a highly toxic, pyrophoric form of phosphorus that can ignite on contact with air and cause severe burns.
An allotrope of elemental phosphorus, also called white phosphorus, that is highly toxic and pyrophoric — it can ignite spontaneously when exposed to air at around room temperature. It is used in manufacturing phosphoric acid and other phosphorus chemicals, must be stored and handled under water, and can cause deep thermal and chemical burns on contact. OSHA's permissible exposure limit for yellow phosphorus is 0.1 mg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average.
At a chemical plant, operators transferring yellow phosphorus keep it submerged under a water blanket, wear flame-resistant clothing and face shields, and keep water deluge equipment ready in case any material is exposed to air.
Water keeps the material out of contact with oxygen, preventing it from igniting; if the water level drops and phosphorus is exposed, it can catch fire spontaneously.
The affected area should be kept wet or immersed in water to stop the material from reigniting while particles are removed, and the worker should receive emergency medical care immediately.
Long-term exposure to yellow phosphorus has historically been linked to severe jaw bone damage, known as "phossy jaw," along with liver and kidney effects, which is why exposure limits are very low.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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