Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

YORKHIRE DYAMUL DSS-A 60%***OBSOLETE***

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

A general purpose wetting agent for textile processing.

SYNONYMS

"wetting agent textiles"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Harmful if swallowed.
HARMFUL - May cause lung damage if swallowed.
Irritating to eyes and skin.
Flammable.
Harmful 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.  Ingestion of anionic surfactants may produce diarrhea, bloated stomach,and occasional vomiting.  Ingestion of ethanol (ethyl alcohol, "alcohol") may produce nausea, vomiting, bleeding from the digestive tract, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Effects on the body:  
Blood concentration
Effects
<1.5 g/L
Mild: impaired vision, co-ordination and reaction time; emotional instability
1.5-3.0 g/L
Moderate: Slurred speech, confusion, inco-ordination, emotional instability, disturbances in perception and senses, possible blackouts, and impaired objective performance in standardized tests. Possible double vision, flushing, fast heart rate, sweating and incontinence. Slow breathing may occur rarely and fast breathing may develop in cases of metabolic acidosis, low blood sugar and low blood potassium. Central nervous system depression may progress to coma.
3-5 g/L
Severe: cold clammy skin, low body temperature and low blood pressure. Atrial fibrillation and heart block have been reported. Depression of breathing may occur, respiratory failure may follow serious poisoning, choking on vomit may result in lung inflammation and swelling. Convulsions due to severe low blood sugar may also occur. Acute liver inflammation may develop.
  
  .  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

  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.  Direct eye contact with some anionic surfactants in high concentration can cause severe damage to the cornea. Low concentrations can cause discomfort, excess blood flow, and corneal clouding and swelling. Recovery may take several days.  Direct contact of the eye with ethanol may cause immediate stinging and burning with reflex closure of the lid and tearing, transient injury of the corneal epithelium and hyperaemia of the conjunctiva. Foreign-body type discomfort may persist for up to 2 days but healing is usually spontaneous and complete.  The material may produce severe irritation to the eye causing pronounced inflammation. Repeated or prolonged exposure to irritants may produce conjunctivitis.  

SKIN

  There is some evidence to suggest that the material may cause moderate 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.  Skin contact is not thought to produce harmful health effects (as classified using animal models). Systemic harm, however, has been identified following exposure of animals by at least one other route and the material may still produce health damage following entry through wounds, lesions or abrasions. Good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable gloves be used in an occupational setting.  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.  Anionic surfactants can cause skin redness and pain, as well as a rash. Cracking, scaling and blistering can occur.  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

  The material is not thought to produce either adverse health effects or irritation of the respiratory tract following inhalation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, adverse effects have been produced following exposure of animals by at least one other route and good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable control measures be used in an occupational setting.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  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.  Prolonged exposure to ethanol may cause damage to the liver and cause scarring. It may also worsen damage caused by other agents. Large amounts of ethanol taken in pregnancy may result in "fetal alcohol syndrome", characterized by delay in mental and physical development, learning difficulties, behavioral problems and small head size. A small number of people develop allergic reactions to ethanol, which include eye infections, skin swelling, shortness of breath, and itchy rashes with blisters.  Repeated skin contact with some sulfonated surfactants has produced sensitization dermatitis in predisposed individuals.