Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

HACH FREE COPPER REAGENT.

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Laboratory reagent: indicator for copper.

SYNONYMS

reagent

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Irritating to eyes.
Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual.  

EYE

  There is some evidence that material may produce eye irritation in some persons and produce eye damage 24 hours or more after instillation. Moderate inflammation may be expected with redness; conjunctivitis may occur with prolonged exposure.  

SKIN

  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.  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*.  If inhaled, this material can irritate the throat andlungs of some persons.  The material is not thought to produce respiratory irritation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless inhalation of dusts, or fume, especially for prolonged periods, may produce respiratory discomfort and occasionally, distress.  Inhalation of dusts, generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be damaging to the health of the individual.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  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.  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.  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.