Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

ZIRCONIUM CHLORIDE-TETRAHYDROFURAN COMPLEX (1:2)

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Intermediate.

SYNONYMS

C8-H16-Cl4-O2-Zr, "zirconium trichloride-tetrahydrofuran complex (1:3)",
trichlorobis(tetrahydrofuran)zirconium, "zirconium (IV) complex", "zirconium (IV) complex"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Causes burns.
Risk of serious damage to eyes.
Harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Highly flammable.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Accidental ingestion of the material may be harmful; animal experiments indicate that ingestion of less than 150 gram may be fatal or may produce serious damage to the health of the individual.  The material can produce chemical burns within the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract following ingestion.  Because inorganic zirconium is poorly absorbed from the digestive tract, acute oral toxicity is low. Injection is much more dangerous, causing progressive depression until death.  Ingestion of acidic corrosives may produce burns around and in the mouth. the throat and esophagus. Immediate pain and difficulties in swallowing and speaking may also be evident. Swelling of the epiglottis may make it difficult to breathe which may result in suffocation. More severe exposure may result in vomiting blood and thick mucus, shock, abnormally low blood pressure, fluctuating pulse, shallow respiration and clammy skin, inflammation of stomach wall, and rupture of esophageal tissue. Untreated shock may eventually result in kidney failure. Severe cases may result in perforation of the stomach and abdominal cavity with consequent infection, rigidity and fever. There may be severe narrowing of the esophageal or pyloric sphincters; this may occur immediately or after a delay of weeks to years. There may be coma and convulsions, followed by death due to infection of the abdominal cavity, kidneys or lungs.  Ingestion of tetrahydrofuran may not, in itself, produce internal injury, however, contaminating levels of furan, present in certain grades of commercial product, may produce liver and kidney injury. The intake of alcoholic beverages may enhance the toxic effects of tetrahydrofuran.  

EYE

  The material can produce chemical burns to the eye following direct contact. Vapors or mists may be extremely irritating.  If applied to the eyes, this material causes severe eye damage.  Direct eye contact with acid corrosives may produce pain, tears, sensitivity to light and burns. Mild burns of the epithelia generally recover rapidly and completely. Severe burns produce long-lasting and possibly irreversible damage. The appearance of the burn may not be apparent for several weeks after the initial contact. The cornea may ultimately become deeply opaque resulting in blindness.  

SKIN

  Skin contact with the material may be harmful; systemic effects may resultfollowing absorption.  The material can produce chemical burns following direct contactwith the skin.  The external application of zirconium can cause nodules in the skinof the armpits.  Open cuts, abraded or irritated skin should not be exposed to this material.  Skin contact with acidic corrosives may result in pain and burns; these may be deep with distinct edges and may heal slowly with the formation of scar tissue.  Entry into the blood-stream, through, for example, cuts, abrasions or lesions, may produce systemic injury with harmful effects. Examine the skin prior to the use of the material and ensure that any external damage is suitably protected.  Skin contact with tetrahydrofuran may produce smarting and reddening of the skin and after prolonged exposures, contact (non-allergic) dermatitis may result due to the degreasing effect of the substance.  

INHALED

  If inhaled, this material can irritate the throat andlungs of some persons.  Inhalation of dusts, generated by the material, during the course of normalhandling, may be harmful.  Zirconium workers exposed to fume for 1-5 years showed no abnormalities due to zirconium. Animal studies also reveal a low order of hazard from inhaled zirconium.  Corrosive acids can cause irritation of the respiratory tract, with coughing, choking and mucous membrane damage. There may be dizziness, headache, nausea and weakness. Swelling of the lungs can occur, either immediately or after a delay; symptoms of this include chest tightness, shortness of breath, frothy phlegm and cyanosis. Lack of oxygen can cause death hours after onset.  Overexposure to tetrahydrofuran, by inhalation, may result in irritation of the mucous membranes and may produce coughing, chest pains, nausea, dizziness, headache and narcosis. Exposure to high concentrations can affect the central nervous system due to the strong narcotic effect of the material. Concentrations greater than 25000 ppm were reported to produce anaesthesia in animals. Anaesthetic properties are poor as onset is delayed and recovery is slow. Pronounced hypotension and marked respiratory hypernea accompany narcosis. Other symptoms include muscular hypotonia and disappearance of corneal reflexes, followed by coma and death.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Repeated or prolonged exposure to corrosives may result in the erosion of teeth, inflammatory and ulcerative changes in the mouth and necrosis (rarely) of the jaw. Bronchial irritation, with cough, and frequent attacks of bronchial pneumonia may ensue. Gastrointestinal disturbances may also occur. Chronic exposures may result in dermatitis and/or conjunctivitis.  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  Long term exposure to high dust concentrations may cause changes in lung function i.e. pneumoconiosis; caused by particles less than 0.5 micron penetrating and remaining in the lung. Prime symptom is breathlessness; lung shadows show on X-ray.  Zirconium can accumulate in the spleen. Oral administration has not beenshown to cause any ill effects.  Repeated or prolonged exposure to acids may result in the erosion of teeth, swelling and or ulceration of mouth lining. Irritation of airways to lung, with cough, and inflammation of lung tissue often occurs. Chronic exposure may inflame the skin or conjunctiva.  Repeated exposure to tetrahydrofuran (THF) and its congeners has been associated with cytolytic hepatitis and fatty degeneration of the liver. Inhalation of THF at concentrations greater than 3000 ppm, 8 hours/day for 20 days, produced irritation and evidence for hepatic and renal injury in animals. Male rats inhaling more than 5000 ppm THF for 12 weeks, 4 hours/day showed signs of systemic intoxication, skin and respiratory irritation, liver function disturbance and abnormalities in glucose function. Muscle acetylcholinesterase activity increased in a concentration-dependent manner in male rats that inhaled 200 ppm for 18 weeks, 6 hours/day. Hepatic protein and mixed function oxidase activity also increased. At 2000 ppm, liver function was inhibited. In a 13-week inhalation study, ataxia was reported in rats at 5000 ppm and narcosis in mice at 1800 ppm. Hepatocytomegaly developed in mice of both sexes at 5000 ppm while uterine atrophy and degeneration of the adrenal cortex was found in female mice. A case history suggests that interaction of THF and endoflurane (an anaesthetic) may provoke epileptic seizures following surgery. The parent compound of tetrahydrofuran, furan, is carcinogenic in rats based on an increased incidence of cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular neoplasms of the liver and increased incidences of mononuclear cell leukaemia. In male and female mice, furan induced hepatocellular neoplasms and benign pheochromocytomas of the of the adrenal gland. 1,4-Dioxane, another cyclic ether solvent, is carcinogenic in rats and guinea pigs,  following oral administration, inducing malignant tumours of the liver in rats and malignant tumours of the liver of the gall-bladder in guinea pigs. 1,4-Dioxane is a promoter in two stage skin carcinogenic studies in mice. In a two-year inhalation study * there was evidence of carcinogenic activity of THF, in male rats, based on increased incidences of renal tube adenoma or carcinoma (combined) and in female mice based on an increased incidence of hepatocellular neoplasms. There was no evidence of carcinogenic activity in female rats or male mice exposed to 200, 600 and 1800 ppm THF by inhalation. * National Toxicology Program Technical Report Series No. 475.