Safety
ILs' non-volatility effectively eliminates a major pathway for environmental release and contamination. However, this property is distinct from toxicity. ILs' aquatic toxicity is as severe as or more so than many current solvents. Mortality isn't necessarily the most important metric for measuring impacts in aquatic environments, as sub-lethal concentrations change organisms' life histories in meaningful ways. Balancing VOC reductions against waterway spills (via waste ponds/streams, etc.) requires further research. ILs' substituent diversity simplify the process of identifying compounds that meet safety requirements.
Ultrasound can degrade solutions of imidazolium-based ionic liquids with hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid to relatively innocuous compounds.
Despite low vapor pressure many ionic liquids are combustible and therefore require careful handling. Brief exposure (5 to 7 seconds) to a flame torch can ignite some ILs. Complete combustion is possible for some ILs.
Read more about this topic: Ionic Liquid
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