Liquid Nitrogen and its Consequences

Liquid nitrogen is extremely cold. It will freeze any living tissue it comes in contact with. Applying small amounts of liquid nitrogen to treat various skin problems is now a standard treatment. The medical term for this treatment is cryotherapy. The boiling point of liquid nitrogen is 195.8 degree Celsius and is used for instantly freezing the food and drinks.

What is Liquid Nitrogen?

In scientific terms, liquid nitrogen is colorless and odorless nitrogen found in a liquid state at its lowest temperature. One of the most characteristic features of liquid nitrogen is it freezes rapidly and thus, is commonly used to make ice-creams.

How is it used?

Mainly liquid nitrogen is used for freezing and transport of food and biological products.

• When foods are frozen in a traditional freezer, they form relatively large ice crystals, which impact the consistency of the product. By comparison, liquid nitrogen forms microscopic ice crystals, which can create frozen foods with an almost unbelievably creamy consistency.
• It is used routinely in medicine to freeze off warts, including genital and HIV-related warts.
• Dermatologists can use it to simply dry out the unwanted tissue and let it fall off. Surgeons also use cryotherapy to eliminate cancerous cells.
• In the kitchen, It is used to make ice cream and freeze alcohol.

The important point is that liquid nitrogen must be fully evaporated from the meal or drink before serving. It can safely be used for food or drink preparation but it should not be ingested.

Consequences

• Except the smoke, liquid nitrogen is a chemical element in the frozen liquid state that has now become a trend in using to preserve food and beverages. There is no treatment for the organs affected with liquid nitrogen.
• Consuming liquid nitrogen can cause severe damage to the person’s internal organ. Naturally, it expands manifolds while evaporating. If the person consumed liquid nitrogen and it starts converting into the gas which did not have an escape route due to close sphincter, then it leads to a perforation (hole) in the stomach.
• There are instances where liquid nitrogen leads to exposure.
• It must completely be evaporated before any food or drink containing it is consumed. Consuming even a small amount of liquid nitrogen can have catastrophic consequences.
• The extensive contact you would get from taking drinks that contain liquid nitrogen would cause severe damage to your mouth, esophagus, and stomach.
• It can cause harm in one of two ways. The first and most obvious way is that it can cause cold burns. The second is that it can displace oxygen in the air and suffocate people

Precautions

• Liquid nitrogen can be unsafe if used with ignorance but if you use it in the right way with the right technique there may not be any harm.
• It totally evaporates by the time the food or drink reaches the consumer. So it is safe for consumption. But that’s not the case with cocktails because they are made and served immediately.
• It is dangerous substance to handle without proper knowledge.
• It is permitted as a process additive in frozen food by the national regulatory body, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

How safe is Liquid Nitrogen