New Prius and an odd question

speedy · 04-26-2005, 10:38 AM

Hi all,

After a short 3 month wait, I picked up my new Tideland Pearl (which is not green, but I like it anyway) Prius just in time for my birthday - what a great present, I love it! I'm still trying to figure out how everything works, I have lots of info I found here so I'm well on my way.

Anyway, here's the odd question. Over the weekend I burned my right wrist...badly enough that I need to put on a prescription antibiotic twice a day. (My husband is happy my prius has the first aid kit). I put it on just before leaving for work. By the time I got here, the cream had turned grey, something it has never done before. I had the AC on briefly and vented from the outside, my wrist would have been directly in front of the vent. I'm guessing that the air coming in is what caused the "dirt" but is this normal?

I was driving on a highway here in Pittsburgh. It was right after rush hour so traffic was light. Pittsburgh air has improved considerably since the steel mills shut down 20 years ago, so air pollution here is no worse than other cities. Do you think its the air or the car, which currently has 31 miles on it and could be spewing some residual factory stuff?

galaxee · 04-26-2005, 12:26 PM

First, congrats and welcome to the club!

Now about that weird question. Were you able to rub the gray color away and expose any white, which would indicate that something was coating the cream? Was the cream still 'creamy?' some drug preparations can react to various factors such as having a lot of air blown on it, maybe dry out and degrade, causing the change in color.

How thinly did you spread the cream?

Were you able to reproduce the gray color with the air on recirc?

Just a couple of thoughts. There are a lot of factors. I'm not a MD and don't have a whole lot of experience with actual prepared drugs, I'm just learning how to develop them.

Maybe Doc Evan would have some insight?

speedy · 04-26-2005, 02:23 PM

Thanks for the congrats.

It was a pretty thin layer that wiped right off, definitely looked like the moisture left over just picked up some dirt in the air. I don't think it was a change in the cream (silvadene) itself. I haven't experimented with the air circulation because I only got the car yesterday!

I am sure this is grossing someone out - sorry! I was more interested to know if this is normal for new cars, or if its an air pollution issue, which is certainly more concerning. I wonder if run of the mill hand lotion would produce a similar result.

It's nice to know what you're breathing, inside or out.

DanMan32 · 04-26-2005, 05:15 PM

Silvadene. Sounds like it has silver in it that might oxide, much like photographic film. That would expain the gray!

Yup, googled the stuff, the chemical name is SILVER SULFADIAZINE. Sulfer will definitly tarnish silver.

Oh yes, one of the side effects is brownish gray skin discoloration.

jimofdg · 04-26-2005, 05:28 PM

Don't tell Dr. Evan you solved this without him.

galaxee · 04-26-2005, 05:34 PM

sure enough, a degradation. i didn't have time to look up silvadene this afternoon (spent all day on the mass spec) but that sounds correct according to what i've learned so far.

way to do DanMan! :wink:

nwprius · 04-26-2005, 06:07 PM

If you want to know what is coming through the air vent into the cockpit pull the AIR FILTER out from behind the glove box and look at it. That will tell you if anything has come in from the outside. I clean mine about once a month with a vacuum and replace it every six months. I have also placed a charcoal filter under the fiber filter and the fine dirt it collects is amazing.

Bob

DanMan32 · 04-26-2005, 10:30 PM

I got that from the name. I only googled to confirm my hypothesis.

As soon as I saw SILVAdene, I said "Ah HA!"

By the way, I was suprised when I was playing trivial persuit with some younger kids on my old block, where the question was, what company uses the most silver? Answer: Kodak. Photography uses lots of silver.
I was at the house of a photographer, playing the game with his son. Nobody else had the answer but me. That must have been at least 20 years ago.

I'm getting old, and rambling off topic.

galaxee · 04-27-2005, 12:06 AM

yeah, most drug names make an ingredient rather obvious. it's like they take the chemical name and make it more user-friendly. go figure.

it's all marketing.

speedy · 04-27-2005, 11:45 AM

Wow - that answers my question. My arm's just tarnished. Who would have guessed?

Many thanks!!

04-26-2005, 10:38 AM	#1
speedy Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 17 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	New Prius and an odd question Hi all, After a short 3 month wait, I picked up my new Tideland Pearl (which is not green, but I like it anyway) Prius just in time for my birthday - what a great present, I love it! I'm still trying to figure out how everything works, I have lots of info I found here so I'm well on my way. Anyway, here's the odd question. Over the weekend I burned my right wrist...badly enough that I need to put on a prescription antibiotic twice a day. (My husband is happy my prius has the first aid kit). I put it on just before leaving for work. By the time I got here, the cream had turned grey, something it has never done before. I had the AC on briefly and vented from the outside, my wrist would have been directly in front of the vent. I'm guessing that the air coming in is what caused the "dirt" but is this normal? I was driving on a highway here in Pittsburgh. It was right after rush hour so traffic was light. Pittsburgh air has improved considerably since the steel mills shut down 20 years ago, so air pollution here is no worse than other cities. Do you think its the air or the car, which currently has 31 miles on it and could be spewing some residual factory stuff?

04-26-2005, 12:26 PM	#2
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,075 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 21	First, congrats and welcome to the club! Now about that weird question. Were you able to rub the gray color away and expose any white, which would indicate that something was coating the cream? Was the cream still 'creamy?' some drug preparations can react to various factors such as having a lot of air blown on it, maybe dry out and degrade, causing the change in color. How thinly did you spread the cream? Were you able to reproduce the gray color with the air on recirc? Just a couple of thoughts. There are a lot of factors. I'm not a MD and don't have a whole lot of experience with actual prepared drugs, I'm just learning how to develop them. Maybe Doc Evan would have some insight? __________________ black 2005 prius, tweaked just the way i like it my diagnostic guy on electronics: "lack of troubleshooting ability is due to a high common sense rejection ratio."

04-26-2005, 05:28 PM	#5
jimofdg Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: DG, IL, US Posts: 533 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Re: New Prius and an odd question Don't tell Dr. Evan you solved this without him.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
prius question	gamiller	Fred's House of Pancakes	2	02-25-2007 07:06 PM
TPMS Question and Voice Activ. Question	Moderator	Prius Main Forum	8	01-15-2007 02:54 PM
Prius Rim Question	prius2006rocks	Prius Main Forum	7	11-21-2006 01:29 PM
One question on the Prius	SiliconAddict	Prius Main Forum	25	10-10-2006 10:47 PM
New Prius question	adamsmom2	Prius Main Forum	17	04-27-2005 12:52 PM

04-26-2005, 02:23 PM	#3
speedy Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 17 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Thanks for the congrats. It was a pretty thin layer that wiped right off, definitely looked like the moisture left over just picked up some dirt in the air. I don't think it was a change in the cream (silvadene) itself. I haven't experimented with the air circulation because I only got the car yesterday! I am sure this is grossing someone out - sorry! I was more interested to know if this is normal for new cars, or if its an air pollution issue, which is certainly more concerning. I wonder if run of the mill hand lotion would produce a similar result. It's nice to know what you're breathing, inside or out.

04-26-2005, 05:15 PM	#4
DanMan32 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 3,775 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Silvadene. Sounds like it has silver in it that might oxide, much like photographic film. That would expain the gray! Yup, googled the stuff, the chemical name is SILVER SULFADIAZINE. Sulfer will definitly tarnish silver. Oh yes, one of the side effects is brownish gray skin discoloration.

04-26-2005, 05:34 PM	#6
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,075 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 21	sure enough, a degradation. i didn't have time to look up silvadene this afternoon (spent all day on the mass spec) but that sounds correct according to what i've learned so far. way to do DanMan! :wink:

04-26-2005, 06:07 PM	#7
nwprius Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Roy, Washington and Nanaimo, Canada Posts: 130 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #4 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	If you want to know what is coming through the air vent into the cockpit pull the AIR FILTER out from behind the glove box and look at it. That will tell you if anything has come in from the outside. I clean mine about once a month with a vacuum and replace it every six months. I have also placed a charcoal filter under the fiber filter and the fine dirt it collects is amazing. Bob

04-26-2005, 10:30 PM	#8
DanMan32 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Tampa Bay, FL Posts: 3,775 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I got that from the name. I only googled to confirm my hypothesis. As soon as I saw SILVAdene, I said "Ah HA!" By the way, I was suprised when I was playing trivial persuit with some younger kids on my old block, where the question was, what company uses the most silver? Answer: Kodak. Photography uses lots of silver. I was at the house of a photographer, playing the game with his son. Nobody else had the answer but me. That must have been at least 20 years ago. I'm getting old, and rambling off topic.

04-27-2005, 12:06 AM	#9
galaxee running WOT until out of fuel Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: central NC/ western WI Posts: 9,075 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #5 Nominated 5 Times in 3 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 21	yeah, most drug names make an ingredient rather obvious. it's like they take the chemical name and make it more user-friendly. go figure. it's all marketing.

04-27-2005, 11:45 AM	#10
speedy Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 17 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Wow - that answers my question. My arm's just tarnished. Who would have guessed? Many thanks!!