Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
Short answer
Touching dry ice with bare skin can cause frostbite, and the flesh may stick to it. A manufacturer’s safety data sheet (SDS) for dry ice carries the label statement “May cause frostbite,” and the FDA says dry ice should not be directly consumed or allowed to directly contact exposed skin. Swallowing it can damage internal organs. The hazard comes from the cold, not from toxicity.
Definition and scope
Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide (CAS 124-38-9). It does not melt: it sublimes, turning straight from solid to gas, at -78.5 °C (-109 °F), according to Linde’s SDS P-4575. This page answers what happens on contact with skin, eyes, the mouth and the breathing zone, and what the SDS and the FDA say about handling. For forms, uses and storage, see what dry ice is; for shipping classification, see dry ice shipping regulations. This page is general product-safety information, not medical advice.
What happens if you touch dry ice?
The SDS label statements are “May cause frostbite” and “Contact with skin may cause frostbite; flesh may stick to material.” The handling section adds that “not only can you suffer frostbite, your skin may stick fast to the cold surfaces,” and that no unprotected part of the body should touch solid carbon dioxide or uninsulated pipes or vessels containing it. Its instruction is to use tongs or insulated gloves, and its label statements call for protective gloves and cold-insulating gloves, a face shield and eye protection.
The same SDS lists acute toxicity as “not classified.” That is consistent with the FDA’s framing: its Food Code Reference System document says the safety concerns about dry ice are “based on both the physical state of the substances and accidents surrounding their use rather than on any toxicity.”
For frostbite from solid, liquid or cold-vapor carbon dioxide, the SDS first-aid section states to warm the area with water not exceeding 41 °C (105 °F), keep warming for at least 15 minutes or until normal colour and sensation return, and seek medical evaluation as soon as possible. That is the manufacturer’s wording; follow your site’s emergency procedure and medical direction.
What happens if you eat or swallow dry ice?
The FDA states that dry ice (and liquid nitrogen) “can cause severe damage to skin and internal organs if mishandled or accidently ingested due to the extremely low temperatures they can maintain.” Its guidance to retail food establishments says touching or consuming dry ice “may result in adverse health conditions, physical abnormalities, and possibly death.” The FDA also notes that US retail incidents have been few but that “injuries have been severe,” and that it issued an advisory on August 30, 2018.
The SDS ingestion first-aid entry reads: rinse the mouth out with water; give water to drink if the person is completely conscious and alert; never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person; do not induce vomiting; get immediate medical attention.
Eyes and breathing
Eyes
The SDS says to flush the eyes with water for at least 15 minutes, holding the eyelids open, and to get immediate medical attention. It names an ophthalmologist as the person to contact.
Breathing the vapor
The label states that “vapor may displace oxygen and cause rapid suffocation.” One volume of solid becomes about 554 volumes of gas at the sublimation point (expansion ratio 1 to 554), the gas is heavier than air, and it may accumulate in confined spaces. The SDS therefore says to store and use dry ice with adequate ventilation, not to store it in tight containers or confined spaces, and to use oxygen detectors where asphyxiating gases may be released. The FDA’s food-service guidance likewise says to avoid prolonged exposure to dry ice in enclosed or confined spaces such as walk-in refrigerators or storage rooms, because carbon dioxide gas in a confined or unventilated space may create an oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
Exposure routes compared
This table collects the statements above by route. Every row comes from the Linde SDS P-4575 (revision 05/23/2022) or the FDA document named in the Sources section.
| Route | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Skin contact | May cause frostbite; flesh may stick to material; use tongs or insulated gloves | SDS sections 2 and 7 |
| Eye contact | May cause frostbite; flush with water for at least 15 minutes; immediate medical attention | SDS section 4 |
| Swallowing | Severe damage to skin and internal organs possible; rinse mouth, do not induce vomiting, immediate medical attention | FDA; SDS section 4 |
| Breathing the vapor | Vapor may displace oxygen and cause rapid suffocation; simple asphyxiant | SDS sections 2 and 16 |
Handling checklist for labs, receiving and events
Each item restates a source statement; none is a procedure for treating an injury.
- Handle with cold-insulating gloves, a face shield and eye protection, or with dry ice tongs (SDS sections 2, 7 and 8).
- Store and use with adequate ventilation; do not store in tight containers or confined spaces (SDS section 7).
- Use oxygen detectors where asphyxiating gases may be released (SDS section 8).
- Know the exposure figures the SDS lists for carbon dioxide gas: ACGIH TWA 5,000 ppm, ACGIH STEL 30,000 ppm, OSHA PEL TWA 5,000 ppm, IDLH 40,000 ppm (SDS section 8).
- Keep the safety data sheet available where dry ice is stored and used; the FDA recommends this for food service, and the same logic applies to receiving areas. See how to read a safety data sheet.
- In food or beverage service, the FDA recommends not adding dry ice immediately before service and ensuring complete sublimation before service or consumption.
- For liquid nitrogen, the other extreme-cold hazard in many facilities, see liquid nitrogen and cryogen handling safety; for cold shipments arriving with dry ice, see cold-chain shipping of biological reagents.
Common misunderstandings
“It is not toxic, so it is safe to handle.”
The SDS lists acute toxicity as not classified, and the FDA says its concern is not toxicity. Both still direct that bare skin must not touch it and that it must not be eaten. The hazards are temperature and suffocation.
“A sealed container is the safest way to keep it.”
The SDS says not to store dry ice in tight containers or confined spaces, and gives the 1 to 554 expansion ratio at sublimation. Storage guidance is built around ventilation.
“The danger is only in the skin.”
Skin, eyes, the mouth and the air in an enclosed room are each addressed separately in the SDS, with different first-aid entries and, for the gas, exposure limits.
FAQ
What happens if you touch dry ice?
It may cause frostbite, and flesh may stick to it. The SDS says to use tongs or insulated gloves and never let unprotected skin touch solid carbon dioxide.
What happens if you eat dry ice?
The FDA states it can cause severe damage to skin and internal organs if accidentally ingested, and says touching or consuming it may result in adverse health conditions and possibly death. The SDS calls for immediate medical attention after ingestion.
Is dry ice poisonous?
The FDA says its concerns are based on the substance’s physical state and accidents with it, not on toxicity. The vapor is a simple asphyxiant that can displace oxygen in a confined space.
Sources
- Linde, “Carbon Dioxide, Solid or Dry Ice,” Safety Data Sheet P-4575, version 2.1, revision date 05/23/2022 (hosted by the University of Iowa Biochemistry Stores: SDS P-4575 PDF). Date checked: 2026-10-29.
- US Food and Drug Administration, Food Code Reference System, “Liquid nitrogen and dry ice in food,” dated October 31, 2018 (FDA document). Date checked: 2026-10-29.
