Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

UNIMIN DIATOMITE

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Used e.g. as absorbent, mild abrasive, filler extender, refractories and insulation.

SYNONYMS

"diatomaceous earth, natural", "amorphous silica", "silica amorphous", "silica -
amorphous diatomaceous earth"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

None

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Although ingestion is not thought to produce harmful effects, the material may still be damaging to the health of the individual following ingestion, especially where pre-  existing organ (e.g. liver, kidney) damage is evident. Present definitions of harmful or toxic substances are generally based on doses producing mortality (death) rather than those producing morbidity (disease, ill-health). Gastrointestinal tract discomfort may produce nausea and vomiting. In an occupational setting however, ingestion of insignificant quantities is not thought to be cause for concern.  Considered an unlikely route of entry in commercial/industrial environments.  

EYE

  Although the material is not thought to be an irritant, direct contact with the eye may produce transient discomfort characterized by tearing or conjunctival redness (as with windburn).  

SKIN

  The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or skin irritation following contact (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable gloves be used in an occupational setting.  

INHALED

  The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or irritation of the respiratory tract (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable control measures be used in an occupational setting.  Persons with impaired respiratory function, airway diseases and conditions such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, may incur further disability if excessive concentrations of particulate are inhaled.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Principal routes of exposure are by accidental skin and eye contact andinhalation of generated dusts.  The synthetic, amorphous silicas are believed to represent a very greatly  reduced silicosis hazard compared to crystalline silicas.  Inhalation of dusts containing crystalline silicas may lead to silicosis,  a disabling pulmonary fibrosis that takes many years to develop.  When heated to high temperature, amorphous silica can produce crystalline  silica on cooling. Treat as a nuisance dust.  Discrepancies between various studies showing that fibrosis associated  with chronic exposure to amorphous silica and those that do not may be  explained by assuming that diatomaceous earth is either weakly fibrogenic  or nonfibrogenic and that fibrosis is due to contamination by crystalline  silica content.