There is increasing evidence that burning lithium-ion batteries produce hydrofluoric acid (HF) and other fluoridated compounds. HF is a weak acid and thus it can penetrate deeper into tissue before causing complications. HF exposure causes irritation to the mucosa/skin and leads to pain out of proportion to the appearance of the burn/exposure. These exposures present a unique risk to first responders and care should be taken to wear appropriate PPE during these events. Regular medical gloves do not protect from exposure. Respiratory protection must be worn to prevent inhalation. Click for treatment options.
Additional Information
Treatment is:
-decontamination- remove contaminated clothing and copious irrigation. To prevent secondary exposures, chemical resistant gloves and masks should be worn. Regular medical gloves do not prevent exposure!
-For skin exposure, calcium gluconate gel applied and massaged into the skin deactivates the HF and corrects the local electrolyte imbalances.
-For pulmonary exposure, nebulized 2.5% calcium gluconate
-For high level exposures, be aware that there are significant electrolyte shits that can lead to arrythmias and cardiac arrest. Again, calcium is the antidote.
References
- Cherry Song, Michael Marano, Robin Lee, Christina Lee, Mukosolu Ndubisi, Mostafa Elbahrawy, Ayodeji Folarin, 954 Hydrofluoric Acid Fumes Associated with Electric Vehicle Lithium Ion Battery Fires, Journal of Burn Care & Research, Volume 46, Issue Supplement_1, March/April 2025, Page S365, https://doi.org/10.1093/jbcr/iraf019.485
- Larsson, F., Andersson, P., Blomqvist, P. et al. Toxic fluoride gas emissions from lithium-ion battery fires. Sci Rep 7, 10018 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09784-z
- Stephen Keelan, Maria Murphy, Mark Abrahams, Odhran Shelley, Sharon Kennedy,
Hydrofluoric acid inhalation injury after electric bike battery fire,
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery,Volume 118, 2026, Pages 424-427, ISSN 1748-6815, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2026.04.035