Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

N-BUTANOL-1-14C

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

A solvent for waxes, resins, shellac, varnish, polymers etc.. Manufacture of lacquers,
enamels, thinners, solvent blends, rayon. In the preparation of butyl esters, especially
butyl acetate.

SYNONYMS

C4-H10-O, CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-OH, 1-butanol-1-14C, 1-butanol-1-14C, butan-1-o1-1-14C, butan-1-
o1-1-14C, "butyl alcohol-1-14C", "butyl alcohol-1-14C", 1-hydroxybutane-1-14C, 1-
hydroxybutane-1-14C

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

HARMFUL - May cause lung damage if swallowed.
Flammable.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Ingestion may result in nausea, pain, vomiting. Vomit entering the lungs by aspiration may cause potentially lethal chemical pneumonitis.  Considered an unlikely route of entry in commercial/industrial environments.  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 some evidence to suggest that this material can causeeye irritation and damage in some persons.  beta-Radiation produces severe inflammation of the eyelid tissue and eye surface. The lens is especially sensitive, and cataracts can occur after a delay of months to years. They are progressive, but growth may stop at any time.  

SKIN

  Skin contact with the material may damage the health of the individual; systemic effects may result following absorption.  Toxic effects may result from skin absorption.  Exposure limits with "skin" notation indicate that vapor and liquid may be absorbed through intact skin. Absorption by skin may readily exceed vapor inhalation exposure. Symptoms for skin absorption are the same as for inhalation. Contact with eyes and mucous membranes may also contribute to overall exposure and may also invalidate the exposure standard.  Toxic effects may result from skin absorption.  beta-Radiation may produce reddening and color changes to the skin. Peeling, blistering, ulceration and death of skin tissue may occur. After damage occurs, cancers may develop.  

INHALED

  Inhalation may produce health damage*.  There is some evidence to suggest that this material, if inhaled, can irritate the throat and lungs of some persons.  Inhalation hazard is increased at higher temperatures.  If exposure to highly concentrated solvent atmosphere is prolonged this may lead to narcosis, unconsciousness, even coma and possible death.  Central nervous system (CNS) depression may include general discomfort, symptoms of giddiness, headache, dizziness, nausea, anaesthetic effects, slowed reaction time, slurred speech and may progress to unconsciousness. Serious poisonings may result in respiratory depression and may be fatal.  The degree of absorption into the body depends on solubility and particle size. Insoluble compounds and heavier particle may remain at or near the sites of deposition and may be brought to the throat by ciliary action where they may be swallowed. Soluble compounds may enter the blood stream. Lighter particles may remain in the alveolar sacs. The degree of damage is dependent on the rate of elimination and the susceptibility of the tissue to radiation damage. A single large dose may produce radiation sickness.  A whole body dose of 2-10 Gray may cause loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea and vomiting,  most severe after 6-12 hours. After this subsides a gross disturbance in blood cell distribution occurs with loss of white blood cells and platelets over weeks. The activity of bone marrow may become so depressed that overwhelming infections can occur and cause death. A dose of 4 Gray can lead to damage of the bowel lining, causing untreatable nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which may result in severe dehydration, collapse and death. Although repair of the damage may occur, failure of blood cell production can ensue. At 6 Gray, damage to the blood cell production and digestive systems can be fatal. Whole body doses of 30 Gray can cause nausea, vomiting, listlessness, drowsiness, weakness, tremors, convulsions, inco-ordination and death within hours. The reproductive organs are particularly sensitive to radiation. A does of 0.3 Gray can cause temporary loss of fertility in men; there may be cessation of periods in women.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Principal routes of exposure are usually by skin contact/absorption and inhalation of vapor.  Serious systemic effects from exposure to n-butanol in the form of  auditory and vestibular nerve damage have been reported amongst workers in  France and Mexico. Audiologic impairment was produced in workers exposed  to 80 ppm n-butanol with unprotected noise exposure. Workers exposed over  a 15 year period (1929-1944) exhibited severe vertigo and vertiges gravis.  Workers exposed from 3-11 years without personal protective equipment from  noise experienced greater hearing loss (hypoacusia) in direct relation to  exposure time when compared to a control group exposed to industrial noise  of 90-100 dB but with n-butanol exposure. Average hearing loss was not  large but the workers had central frequencies of 21.98 dB (11.59 dB  minimum and 32.30 dB maximum) with a mean widening of the break between  3000 and 4000 Hz of 42.22 dB. There was a tendency of the averages to  decrease as the frequencies moved away from the central zone. Affected  workers were aged from 20-39 years. [ACGIH Documentation of TLVs]  High doses of beta radiation can cause lung cancer, sterility, anemia, leukemia or bone cancer. Cataracts can develop and should be seen as a sign. Prolonged exposure to smaller doses can lead to dry, thick skin with itchiness, redness and warts, and hair loss.  A single large or prolonged low exposure to radiation can cause delayed effects, including blood cancers, genetic disorders, shortened lifespan and cataracts. Leukemia is the most common cancer caused; cancers of the thyroid, bone, lung (due to radioactive particle deposits) and skin are also seen. Many and varied genetic changes can occur; if they affect cells of the reproductive system, they may only display themselves after being inherited.