Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

PALLADIUM CHLORIDE

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Photography; in the preparation of images for transfer to porcelain; toning solutions;
electroplating parts for clocks and watches; in the manufacture of indelible inks; in the
preparation of palladium as a catalyst. PdCl2 paper for detecting carbon monoxide in gas-
pipe leaks. Reduced in solution by hydrogen or CO to produce the metal.

SYNONYMS

Cl2-Pd, PdCl2, "palladium(2+) chloride", NCI-C60184, "palladous chloride"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

None

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin.
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.  Colloidal palladium is reported to increase body temperature, producediscoloration and tissue death at the site of injection, decreasebody-weight and cause some destruction of blood cells.  

EYE

  This material can cause eye irritation and damage in some persons.  

SKIN

  Skin contact with the material may be harmful; systemic effects may resultfollowing absorption.  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 of dusts, generated by the material, during the course of normalhandling, may be harmful.  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.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Long-term exposure to respiratory irritants may result in disease of the airways involving difficult breathing and related systemic problems.  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 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.  There is a weak association between palladium chloride and tumor productionon the basis of a single study.