Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

HACH NITRAVER 5 NITRATE REAGENT POWDER PILLOWS

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Used for the determination of nitrate.

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Toxic by inhalation.
May cause CANCER.
May cause SENSITIZATION by skin contact.
Possible risk of impaired fertility.
Possible risk of harm to the unborn child.
Possible risk of irreversible effects.
Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through
inhalation and if swallowed.
Harmful in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin.
Toxic 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 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.  Strong evidence exists that the substance may cause irreversible but non-lethal mutagenic effects following a single exposure.  Acute potassium poisoning after swallowing is rare, because vomiting usually occurs and renal excretion is fast. Potassium causes a slow, weak pulse, irregularities in heart rhythm, heart block and an eventual fall in blood pressure. Breathing initially becomes faster but the muscles of breathing eventually become paralyzed. There can be loss of appetite, extreme thirst, increased volumes of urine, fever, convulsions and gastric disturbances; death may then occur due to failure of breathing and inflammation of the stomach and bowel.  As absorption of phosphates from the bowel is poor, poisoning this way is less likely. Effects can include vomiting, tiredness, fever, diarrhea, low blood pressure, slow pulse, cyanosis, spasms of the wrist, coma and severe body spasms.  

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.  Alkaline salts may be intensely irritating to the eyes and precautions should be taken to ensure direct eye contact is avoided.  

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 normal handling, may produce toxic effects.  The material can cause respiratory irritation in some persons. The body's response to such irritation can cause further lung damage.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through inhalation and if swallowed.  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.  Ample evidence from experiments exists that there is a suspicionthis material directly reduces fertility.  Results in experiments suggest that this material may cause disorders in the development of the embryo or fetus, even when no signs of poisoning show in the mother.  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.  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.  Sodium phosphate dibasic can cause stones in the kidney, loss of mineral from the bones and loss of thyroid gland function.