Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

HACH AMINO ACID REAGENT FOR PHOSPHATE AND SILICA

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Used for silica and phosphate determination.

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

In use, may form flammable/ explosive vapor- air mixture.
Contact with acids liberates toxic gas.
Risk of serious damage to eyes.
May cause harm to the unborn child.
HARMFUL - May cause lung damage if swallowed.
Harmful by inhalation and in contact with skin.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual.  At sufficiently high doses the material may be hepatotoxic(i.e. poisonous to the liver).  

EYE

  If applied to the eyes, this material causes severe eye damage.  

SKIN

  There is some evidence to suggest that this material, on a single contact with skin, can cause irreversible damage of organs.  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 the material may be harmful; systemic effects may resultfollowing 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.  

INHALED

  Inhalation of vapors or aerosols (mists, fumes), generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be harmful.  There is some evidence to suggest that this material can cause, if inhaled once, irreversible damage of organs.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Ample evidence exists, from results in experimentation, that developmental disorders are directly caused by human exposure to the material.  There has been some concern that this material can cause cancer or mutations but there is not enough data to make an assessment.  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  There is some evidence that inhaling this product is more likely to cause a sensitization reaction in some persons compared to the general population.  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.  Sulfites and bisulfites can cause narrowing of the airways, stomach upset, flushing, low blood pressure. tingling sensation, itchy wheal, swelling and shock, and asthmatics are especially prone. They induce allergic-like reactions which can occur on first contact with the material.  Repeated exposure of animals to airborne sulfur dioxide (SO2) can produce a thickening of the mucous layer in the trachea and an increase in goblet cells and mucous glands similar to pathological changes found in chronic human bronchitis.  Chronic exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) particulate complexes, present in polluted air, have been associated with the aggravation of chronic cardiovascular diseases such as asthma, chronic pulmonary disease, and coronary artery disease (this may occur at levels of 6-10 ug/m3 for 24 hours), An association exists between persistent cough and sputum production, particularly in women and non-smokers. A 10-year follow study on workers exposed to a mean sulfur dioxide concentration of up to 33 ppm did not reveal an increased prevalence of chronic respiratory disease or decreased pulmonary function.  By contrast, studies of smelter workers, exposed to concentrations below 2 ppm, suggest that chronic respiratory disease may develop and that workers exposed at concentrations exceeding 1 ppm show accelerated loss of pulmonary function.  Although SO2 is not a carcinogen, the apparent increases in mortalities amongst arsenic-  exposed smelter workers was greater when exposures included both high arsenic concentrations and moderate to high SO2 exposures, suggesting that SO2 might act as a promoter.  Intermittent exposure of rats to benz[a]pyrene along with inhalation of SO2 at 4-10 ppm, 1-6 hours per day, 5 days per week, produced substantial increases in respiratory tract squamous cell carcinomas compared to that associated with exposure to B[a]P or SO2 alone.