Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

WOOLWORTHS DISHWASHER DESCALING TABLETS BY MILPHARMA

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

MSDS are intended for use in the workplace. For domestic- use products, refer to consumer
labels. Descaling tablets.

SYNONYMS

Woolworths, "Home Brand", "descaling tablets"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through
inhalation.
Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin.
Harmful 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.  Large doses of cellulose may be administered orally as non-nutritive bulk. Doses of up to 30 g/day can be tolerated as bulk laxative. Extremely large oral doses may produce gastrointestinal disturbances.  Bulk laxatives can cause temporary bloating and blockage of the esophagus and/or intestine. As they shorten the time of digestion, the absorption of other drugs will be affected.  Polysaccharides are not substantially absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract but may produce a laxative effect. Larger doses may produce intestinal obstruction or stomach concretions.Large quantities of the substituted polysaccharide, methylcellulose (as with other bulk laxatives), may temporarily increase flatulence. Oesophageal obstruction, by swelling, may occur if the material is swallowed dry.Doses of 3-9 gm hydroxypropylcellulose, fed to human subjects, at least one week apart, were eliminated within 96 hours. Animals fed on diets containing 3% or less, experienced no adverse effects. Higher levels produced malnutrition due to excessive bulk but caused no organic damage. In one dog, an oral dose of hydroxypropylcellulose produced diarrhoea and blood cell depression.Ingestion of hetastarch (hydroxyethyl amylopectin) has reportedly produced fever, chills, urticaria and salivary gland enlargement. Several of these effects may be due to contamination by other naturally occurring macromolecules extracted from the source material. Large volumes of ingested hetastarch may interfere with coagulation mechanisms and increase the risk of haemorrhage. Anaphylaxis has occurred.Infusions of dextrans may occasionally produce allergic reactions such as urticaria,hypotension and bronchospasm. Severe anaphylactic reactions may occasionally occurand death may result from cardiac and respiratory arrest. Nausea, vomiting, fever, joint pains, and flushing may also occur. Similarly, allergic reactions, sometimes severe (but rare) have been reported following ingestion or inhalation of tragacanth gums.  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.  

EYE

  This material can cause eye irritation and damage in some persons.  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.  If applied to the eyes, this material causes severe eye damage.  

SKIN

  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 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.  

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.  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.  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.  Cellulose, after a single intratracheal dose (15 mg per animal) brought about fibrosing granulomatous bronchioloalveolitis and an increase of IgA production in the bronchioalveolar lavage. Fibrosing alveolitis showed moderate progression as a function of time. Injury of Type I pneumocytes and incomplete repair of Type II pneumocytes were detected. The damage of alveolar epithelium initiated and activated a series of processes that led to definite pulmonary alterations and pulmonary fibrosis leading to disintegration of the alveolo-capillary morphological functional unit.  Tatrai, E. et al: Journal of Applied Toxicology; 16(2) 129-135 (1996)Some health effects associated with wood, cotton, flax, jute and hemp particles or fibres are not attributable to cellulose content but to other substances and/or impurities.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through inhalation.  Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through inhalation.  This material can cause serious damage if one is exposed to it for long periods. It can be assumed that it contains a substance which can produce severe defects. This has been demonstrated via both short- and long-term experimentation.  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.  Studies indicate that diets containing large amounts of non-absorbable polysaccharides, such as cellulose, might decrease absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus.  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.  Inhalation studies indicate that cellulose fibres may be fibrogenic; this finding continues to be the subject of extensive research. Cellulose is not considered an inert substance because:  ·  in rats, it causes granulomatous fibrosing alveolitis at the end of the third month after exposure,  · in rats there was an increase in the secretion of plasminogen activator and interleukin 1 as well as the release of lactate dehydrogenase from macrophages, in a manner similar to asbestos,  · there were increases in the incidence of obstructive lung diseases and bronchial asthma in humans at work and in the residential environment where exposure to cellulose was common,  · the substance may induce free radical production in human leucocytes.  Cotton dust disease, "byssinosis", is well known among cotton mill workers. Cotton dust consists largely of cellulose fibre. Exposure to two components of the total dust, the "respirable" and "medium" fraction correlated significantly with the prevalence of respiratory symptoms. Inhalation exposure to a concentration of 0.3 to 0.4 mg/m3 of "fly-  free" dust results in a 20% occurrence of byssinosis. "Fly-free" dust is the sum of respirable and medium-length fibres. At 0.46 mg/m3, Grade II byssinosis occurs. A byssinosis (all grades) prevalence of 20%, at 0.3 mg/m3 occurs when the fibre length is less than 15 um (aerodynamic equivalent diameter). Byssinosis is not caused by mechanical irritation but by reactions caused by pharmacologically active substances producing oedema or contraction of the smooth musculature of the airways. The causative agent is suspected to be an endotoxin, in turn, thought to be a cell wall component of bacteria found in cotton. Symptoms of byssinosis include chest tightness, wheezing and dyspnoea. Symptoms usually appear after an absence from work and may subside after 2-days of exposure. As the disease progresses, symptoms may persist for longer periods until they are constant. The individual may eventually exhibit chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Increased physical exertion may produce shortness of breath.