Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

YATES ZERO PATH WEEDER

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Non- selective herbicide for long term control of paths, driveways and tennis courts.

SYNONYMS

non-selective, herbicide, "long term", control, path, driveways, tennis, court

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

May cause CANCER.
Possible risk of harm to the unborn child.
Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long- term adverse effects in the aquatic
environment.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  The material has NOT been classified as "harmful by ingestion". This is because of the lack of corroborating animal or human evidence. The material may still be damaging to the health of the individual, following ingestion, especially where pre-existing organ (e.g. liver, kidney) damage is evident. Present definitions of harmful or toxic substances are generally based on doses producing mortality (death) rather than those producing morbidity (disease, ill-health). Gastrointestinal tract discomfort may produce nausea and vomiting. In an occupational setting however, unintentional ingestion is not thought to be cause for concern.  

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

  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.  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.  Skin contact is not thought to have harmful health effects, however the material may still produce health damage following entry through wounds, lesions or abrasions.  

INHALED

  The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or irritation of the respiratory tract (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable control measures be used in an occupational setting.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  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 ample evidence that this material can be regarded as being able to cause cancer in humans based on experiments and other information.  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.  Epidemiological studies have associated long-term exposures to triazine herbicides with increase risk of ovarian cancer in female farm workers in Italy and of breast cancer in the general population of Kentucky in the United States. In experiments with female F344 rats, atrazine induced tumours of the mammary gland and reproductive organs. Atrazine also caused lengthening of the oestrus cycle, a dose-dependent increase in the plasma levels of 17beta-oestradiol and early onset of mammary and pituitary tumours in female Prague-Dawley rats.  Investigations into the mechanism of these apparent oestrogenic effects have not been able to demonstrate any consistent interactions with triazine herbicides with the oestrogen receptor or effects on receptor-mediated responses. Atrazine, simazine and propazine have been shown to induce aromatase activity in a human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line. This response was observed at concentrations in the submicromolar range. Aromatase is a circulating enzyme which converts androstenedione (generated in the adrenals) to oestrone in peripheral tissues such as adipose tissues. Oestrone subsequently undergoes conversion to oestradiol which binds to oestrogen receptors in many tissues with induction of tumours. In addition, many human breast cancers contain aromatase. (Breast cancer therapies, based on aromatase inhibitors, are now available.)  The effects of triazine herbicides and some of their metabolites on aromatase activity may provide a partial explanation for the observed increase in plasma oestradiol in rats, together with the observed oestrogen-mediated toxicities in vivo. [1] [1] Sanderson et al: Environmental Health Perspectives, 109, pp 1027-1031, 2001  Suggestive evidence between atrazine (or triazines) exposure and an increased risk of prostate cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer have been reported. Although these data provide a suspicion of carcinogenicity, the limited number of investigations and study limitations preclude drawing conclusions regarding these cancer types.