Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

ZINC ISOPROPYLXANTHATE

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Accelerator for rubber vulcanisation.

SYNONYMS

C8-H14-O2-S4.Zn, "zinc O, O-diisopropyl bis(dithiocarbonate)", "zinc O, O-diisopropyl
bis(dithiocarbonate)", "zinc, bis[O-(1-methylethyl) carbonodithioato-.kappa.S,
.kappa.S']-, (T-4)-", "carbonodithioic acid, O-(1-methylethyl)ester, zinc salt",
"carbonodithioic acid, O-(1-methylethyl)ester, zinc salt", "zinc isopropyl xanthate",
"Robac Zix OTD Powder"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Spontaneously flammable in air.
Contact with water liberates toxic, extremely flammable gas.
Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin.
Flammable.
May cause fire.
Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long- term adverse effects in the aquatic
environment.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual.  Ingestion of small amounts of carbon disulfide may result in headache, nausea, dizziness, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, burns to the mouth and oesophagus, numbness of the limbs, dyspnea, dizziness, spasmodic terror, hyperactive tendon reflexes, hyperaesthesia, cardiac arrhythmias, hallucinations, prostration, peripheral vascular collapse, hypothermia, cyanosis, mydriasis, convulsions, coma, and death within a few hours, from respiratory paralysis. Non-fatal exposures may produce delayed effects including motor agitation, disorientation, psychic disturbances, narcosis, delirium, areflexia, mydriasis and permanent damage to the peripheral nervous system. Death has been reported following ingestion of doses as low as 1 gram.  

EYE

  This material can cause eye irritation and damage in some persons.  

SKIN

  This material can cause inflammation of the skin oncontact in some persons.  The material may accentuate any pre-existing dermatitis condition.  Skin contact with the material may damage the health of the individual; systemic effects may result following absorption.  Solution of material in moisture on the skin, or perspiration, mayincrease irritant effects.  Concentrated solutions of carbon disulfide may cause skin pain, redness, and sloughing. Second or third degree burns can occur after only a few minutes of contact. Carbon disulfide may be directly toxic to the superficial nerves of the skin. Skin sensitization may also occur.  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.  

INHALED

  Inhalation may produce health damage*.  The material can cause respiratory irritation in some persons. The body's response to such irritation can cause further lung damage.  Inhalation of dusts, generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be damaging to the health of the individual.  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.  Acute inhalation of carbon disulfide produces rapid onset of both local irritation and central nervous system symptoms ranging from pharyngitis, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, headache, mood changes, lethargy and blurred vision, to agitation, uncontrollable anger, suicidal tendencies, delirium, hallucinations, convulsions, coma and death.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Long-term exposure to respiratory irritants may result in disease of the airways involving difficult breathing and related systemic problems.  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  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.  Exposure to the material may result in a possible risk of irreversible effects. The material may produce mutagenic effects in man. This concern is raised, generally, on the basis ofappropriate studies with similar materials using mammalian somatic cells in vivo. Such findings are often supported by positive results from in vitro mutagenicity studies.  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.  Long-term exposure to carbon disulfide (CS2) may cause serious damage to the central nervous system (degeneration of the peripheral nerves), vision problems, liver and kidney damage, anaemia, fatigue and debility. Other symptoms of chronic exposure include insomnia, nightmares, defective memory and impotency. Coronary heart disease has also been significantly linked to CS2 exposure.  A daily four hour exposure at concentrations exceeding 150 ppm produces chronic intoxication after a few months; 100-150 ppm is thought to produce chronic poisoning after a year or more whilst 50-100 ppm produces sporadic cases of mild intoxication.  Persons with pre-existing central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, skin and blood disorders are potentially more susceptible to symptoms of exposure and should be excluded from all forms of exposure. The toxic effects of carbon disulfide, particularly on the nervous system, can be intensified by consumption of alcohol or simultaneous exposure to hydrogen sulfide.  Concentrations as low as 20 ppm may produce neurological damage - women appear to be more susceptible to the neurological effects of carbon disulfide. These effects include headache, apprehension, lethargy, sleepiness, hearing and position sense loss, paraesthesias, muscle pain, tremors, ataxia, staggering gait, weakness, loss of lower extremity reflexes, and paralysis. Visual disturbances include decreased visual acuity, impaired recognition of red and green, nystagmus, diplopia, disturbed pupillary reaction to light - optic nerve atrophy may also occur. A decrease in corneal reflex may be an indication of chronic intoxication.  Psychiatric symptoms may include loss of memory, nightmares leading to loss of sleep, mental deterioration, acoustic and visual hallucinations, rapid mood changes ranging from irritability to manic-depressive psychoses, and suicidal tendencies. Disturbances to the libido and impotence (with effects on sperm) have also been recorded. Menstrual and ovarian function disorders and an increased risk of spontaneous abortion may also occur.  Liver damage may be indicated by a palpable, tender liver and minor derangement of liver function. Chronic renal dysfunction may occur at concentrations not sufficiently great to produce neurological damage. Gastric or duodenal ulcers may also be produced as a result of chronic exposure.  Coronary heart disease has been significantly linked to carbon disulfide. A series of studies in Finland showed a significant excess mortality from cardiovascular disease in workers exposed to carbon disulfide for at least 5 years to concentrations estimated to range from 20-40 ppm in the 1950's and 10-30 ppm in the 1960's. Most workers, however, had been exposed repeatedly to far higher concentrations at various times.  Nutritional factors may account for variations in response shown amongst workers. Experimental rabbit diets reinforced with a high mineral mixture, especially copper and zinc, permitted daily exposures at 1100 ppm CS2 without the observed effects seen in the controls (body weight loss, serum lipoprotein and total cholesterol increase, adrenal hypertrophy and pathological changes to the brain and spinal cord).  Welding or flame cutting of metals with zinc or zinc dust coatings may result in inhalation of zinc oxide fume; high concentrations of zinc oxide fume may result in "metal fume fever"; also known as "brass chills", an industrial disease of short duration. [I.L.O] Symptoms include malaise, fever, weakness, nausea and may appear quickly if operations occur in enclosed or poorly ventilated areas.