Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

KAO QUARTAMIN 24P

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Used according to manufacturer' s directions.

SYNONYMS

alkyl, quaternary, ammonium, compound, solution

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Harmful if swallowed.
Causes burns.
Risk of serious damage to eyes.
HARMFUL - May cause lung damage if swallowed.
Flammable.
Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation.
Very toxic to aquatic organisms.

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.  There is some evidence to suggest that this material can cause, if swallowed once, irreversible damage of organs.  Concentrated solutions of many cationics may cause corrosive damage to mucous membranes and the esophagus. Nausea and vomiting (sometimes bloody) may follow ingestion. Serious exposures may produce an immediate burning sensation of the mouth, throat and abdomen with profuse salivation, ulceration of mucous membranes, signs of circulatory shock (hypotension, labored breathing, and cyanosis) and a feeling of apprehension, restlessness, confusion and weakness. Weak convulsive movements may precede central nervous system depression. Erosion, ulceration, and petechial hemorrhage may occur through the small intestine with glottic, brain and pulmonary edema. Death may result from asphyxiation due to paralysis of the muscles of respiration or cardiovascular collapse. Fatal poisoning may arise even when the only pathological signs are visceral congestion, swallowing, mild pulmonary edema or varying signs of gastrointestinal irritation. Individuals who survive a period of severe hypertension may develop kidney failure. Cloudy swelling, patchy necrosis and fatty infiltration in such visceral organs as the heart, liver and kidneys shows at death.  Overexposure to non-ring alcohols causes nervous system symptoms. These include headache, muscle weakness and inco-ordination, giddiness, confusion, delirium and coma. Digestive symptoms may include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Aspiration is much more dangerous than ingestion because lung damage can occur and the substance is absorbed into the body. Alcohols with ring structures and secondary and tertiary alcohols cause more severe symptoms, as do heavier alcohols.  

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.  There is evidence that material may produce eye irritation in some persons and produce eye damage 24 hours or more after instillation. Severe inflammation may be expected with pain. There may be damage to the cornea. Unless treatment is prompt and adequate there may be permanent loss of vision. Conjunctivitis can occur following repeated exposure.  Many cationic surfactants are very irritating to the eyes at low concentration. Concentrated solutions can cause severe burns with permanent clouding.  The liquid may produce eye discomfort and is capable of causing temporary impairment of vision and/or transient eye inflammation, ulceration.  The material may produce severe irritation to the eye causing pronounced inflammation. Repeated or prolonged exposure to irritants may produce conjunctivitis.  

SKIN

  The material can produce chemical burns following direct contactwith the skin.  Skin contact with the material may damage the health of the individual; systemic effects may result following absorption.  There is some evidence to suggest that the material may cause mild but significant inflammation of the skin either following direct contact or after a delay of some time. Repeated exposure can cause contact dermatitis which is characterized by redness, swelling and blistering.  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.  Cationic surfactants cause skin irritation, and, in highconcentrations, caustic burns.  The material may cause skin irritation after prolonged or repeated exposure and may produce on contact skin redness, swelling, the production of vesicles, scaling and thickening of the skin.  

INHALED

  Inhalation may produce health damage*.  Inhalation of vapors or aerosols (mists, fumes), generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be damaging to the health of the individual.  There is some evidence to suggest that the material can cause respiratory irritation in some persons. The body's response to such irritation can cause further lung damage.  Aliphatic alcohols with more than 3-carbons cause headache, dizziness, drowsiness, muscle weakness and delirium, central depression, coma, seizures and behavioral changes. Secondary respiratory depression and failure, as well as low blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms, may follow. Nausea and vomiting are seen, and liver and kidney damage is possible as well following massive exposures. Symptoms are more acute the more carbons there are in the alcohol.  Inhalation of vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness. This may be accompanied by narcosis, reduced alertness, loss of reflexes, lack of coordination and vertigo.  If exposure to highly concentrated solvent atmosphere is prolonged this may lead to narcosis, unconsciousness, even coma and possible death.  Acute effects from inhalation of high vapor concentrations may be chest and nasal irritation with coughing, sneezing, headache and even nausea.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  There has been some concern that this material can cause cancer or mutations but there is not enough data to make an assessment.  There is limited evidence that, skin contact with this product is more likely to cause a sensitization reaction in some persons compared to the general population.