Health Impacts of Soda Ash

Sodium carbonate, better known as soda ash, can be harmless in certain amounts but can also be a health hazard if too much is ingested. Soda ash (Na2CO3) is a white, odorless powder, solid or crystal that can have a sweetish flavor. It is used in a variety of products ranging from disinfectants to soft drinks.

Common Uses of Soda Ash

• Sodium carbonate (soda ash) is a main ingredient for cleaning solutions and is found especially in disinfecting agents. Used for adjusting the acidity, soda ash is found in most drinking waters mainly to help prevent corrosion of pipes carrying the water. Other everyday items such as lotions and toothpaste also contain a safe amount of sodium carbonate. It also is an ingredient of antacids and many other medications.

Hazardous Amounts of Soda Ash

• Soda ash can be harmful if it is in solid form or a large amount is present in a solution. Contact with large amounts of soda ash to the eyes or skin can cause burns as well as a rash. Items such as non-diluted cleaning agents have this effect. If one ingests one of these agents, they will most likely develop diarrhea, nausea and other common flu-like symptoms. The body can usually handle an ingested amount of sodium carbonate up to about 10,000 ppm (parts per million.) Skin can come in contact with about 100,000 ppm without any adverse conditions arising.

Safe Amounts of Soda Ash

• Most household cleaning products and laundry detergents will have a very mild effect on skin with prolonged contact. Soda ash is also found in everyday drinking water, the water will usually only have between 1 ppm and 40 ppm of soda ash and therefore is completely harmless. Carbonated beverages have been known to have levels as high as 10,000 ppm and have no side effects.