Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

ZEP BATTERY COAT

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

The use of a quantity of material in an unventilated or confined space may result in
increased exposure and an irritating atmosphere developing.Before starting consider
control of exposure by mechanical ventilation. Application is by spray atomization from a
hand held aerosol pack. Battery terminal protector.

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

May form explosive peroxides.
May cause CANCER.
Possible risk of irreversible effects.
Harmful by inhalation and in contact with skin.
Irritating to eyes and skin.
Extremely flammable.
Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation.
Harmful to aquatic organisms, may cause long- term adverse effects in the
aquatic environment.
Risk of explosion if heated under confinement.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Strong evidence exists that the substance may cause irreversible but non-lethal mutagenic effects following a single exposure.  Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual.  At sufficiently high doses the material may be nephrotoxic(i.e. poisonous to the kidney).  At sufficiently high doses the material may be hepatotoxic(i.e. poisonous to the liver).  

EYE

  This 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.  Not considered to be a risk because of the extreme volatility of the gas.  

SKIN

  Skin contact with the material may be harmful; systemic effects may resultfollowing absorption.  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.  Spray mist may produce discomfort.  Open cuts, abraded or irritated skin should not be exposed to this material.  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 aerosols (mists, fumes), generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be harmful.  Inhalation hazard is increased at higher temperatures.  Inhalation of high concentrations of gas/vapor causes lung irritation with coughing and nausea, central nervous depression with headache and dizziness, slowing of reflexes, fatigue and inco-ordination.  WARNING: Intentional misuse by concentrating/inhaling contents may be lethal.  Headache, fatigue, lassitude, irritability and gastrointestinal disturbances (e.g., nausea, anorexia and flatulence) are the most common symptoms of xylene overexposure. Injury to the heart, liver, kidneys and nervous system has also been noted amongst workers. Transient memory loss, renal impairment, temporary confusion and some evidence of disturbance of liver function was reported in three workers overcome by gross exposure to xylene (10000 ppm). One worker died and autopsy revealed pulmonary congestion, oedema and focal alveolar haemorrhage. Volunteers inhaling xylene at 100 ppm for 5 to 6 hours showed changes in manual coordination reaction time and slight ataxia. Tolerance developed during the workweek but was lost over the weekend. Physical exercise may antagonise this effect. Xylene body burden in humans exposed to 100 or 200 ppm xylene in air depends on the amount of body fat with 4% to 8% of total absorbed xylene accumulating in adipose tissue.  Anesthetics and narcotic effects (with dulling of senses and odor fatigue) are a consequence of exposure to chlorinated solvents.  Individual response varies widely; odor may not be considered objectionable at levels which quickly induce central nervous system effects. High vapor concentrations may give a feeling of euphoria. This may result in reduced responses, followed by rapid onset of unconsciousness, possible respiratory arrest and death.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  There is ample evidence that this material can be regarded as being able to cause cancer in humans based on experiments and other information.  Exposure to the material may result in a possible risk of irreversible effects. The material may produce mutagenic effects in man. This concern is raised, generally, on the basis ofappropriate studies using mammalian somatic cells in vivo. Such findings are often supported by positive results from in vitro mutagenicity studies.  Prolonged or repeated contact with xylenes may cause defatting dermatitis with drying and cracking. Chronic inhalation of xylenes has been associated with central nervous system effects, loss of appetite, nausea, ringing in the ears, irritability, thirst anaemia, mucosal bleeding, enlarged liver and hyperplasia. Exposure may produce kidney and liver damage. In chronic occupational exposure, xylene (usually mix ed with other solvents) has produced irreversible damage to the central nervous system and ototoxicity (damages hearing and increases sensitivity to noise), probably due to neurotoxic mechanisms.  Industrial workers exposed to xylene with a maximum level of ethyl benzene of 0.06 mg/l (14 ppm) reported headaches and irritability and tired quickly. Functional nervous system disturbances were found in some workers employed for over 7 years whilst other workers had enlarged livers.  Xylene has been classed as a developmental toxin in some jurisdictions.  Small excess risks of spontaneous abortion and congenital malformation were reported amongst women exposed to xylene in the first trimester of pregnancy. In all cases, however, the women were also been exposed to other substances. Evaluation of workers chronically exposed to xylene has demonstrated lack of genotoxicity. Exposure to xylene has been associated with increased risks of haemopoietic malignancies but, again, simultaneous exposure to other substances (including benzene) complicates the picture. A long-term gavage study to mixed xylenes (containing 17% ethyl benzene) found no evidence of carcinogenic activity in rats and mice of either sex.  Exposure to the material for prolonged periods may cause physical defects in the developing embryo (teratogenesis).  Halogenated oxiranes may arise following epoxidation of haloalkenes.  The carcinogenicity of halogenated oxiranes may lie in the reactivity of an epoxide intermediate. It is reported that 1,1-dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene,  tetrachloroethylene and chloroprene, for example, are carcinogens in vivo - this may be a consequence of oxirane formation.  Symmetrically substituted oxiranes such as 1,2-dichloroethylene and 1,1,2-2-  tetrachloroethylene are more stable and less mutagenic than unsymmetrical chlorinated oxiranes such as 1,1-dichloroethylene, 1,1,2-trichloroethylene and monochloroethylene (vinyl chloride).  The carcinogenicity of 1,1-dichloroethylene has primarily been associated with inhalation exposure while that of vinyl chloride, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene occurs following exposure by both inhalation and oral routes. National Toxicology Program Toxicity Report Series Number 55; April 2002 Various studies report an association between cancer and industrial exposure to tetrachloroethylene; IARC concluded that this evidence is sufficient to assign appropriate warnings. Similar warnings have been issued by IARC for vinyl fluoride. Similarly vinyl bromide exhibited neoplastic and tumourigenic activity in rats exposed by inhalation and is classified by various bodies as potentially carcinogenic.  Substances such as chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene), are reported to produce an increased frequency of chromosomal aberrations in the lymphocytes of Russian workers. Russian epidemiological studies also suggest an increased incidence of skin and lung cancer following exposure to chloroprene, a result which is not supported by other studies.  Generally speaking, the monohalogenated substances exhibit higher carcinogenic potential than their dihalogenated counterparts. Whether additional substitution lessens such hazard is conjectural. Tetrafluoroethylene, for example, produced clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in a two-year inhalation study in rats and mice. National Toxicology Program Technical Report Series 450, April 1997.