Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

HEMP

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Heavy fabrics, cordage, packing.

SYNONYMS

"natural fibre", "vegetable fiber", "bast fibres"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Although ingestion is not thought to produce harmful effects, 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, ingestion of insignificant quantities is not thought to be cause for concern.  Considered an unlikely route of entry in commercial/industrial environments.  

EYE

  Although the material is not thought to be an irritant, direct contact with the eye may produce transient discomfort characterized by tearing or conjunctival redness (as with windburn).  The dust may produce eye discomfort causing smarting, pain and redness.  

SKIN

  The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or skin irritation following contact (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable gloves be used in an occupational setting.  

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.  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.  Cellulose, after a single intratracheal dose (15 mg per animal) brought about fibrosing granulomatous bronchioloalveolitis and an increase of IgA production in the bronchioalveolar lavage. Fibrosing alveolitis showed moderate progression as a function of time. Injury of Type I pneumocytes and incomplete repair of Type II pneumocytes were detected. The damage of alveolar epithelium initiated and activated a series of processes that led to definite pulmonary alterations and pulmonary fibrosis leading to disintegration of the alveolo-capillary morphological functional unit.  Tatrai, E. et al: Journal of Applied Toxicology; 16(2) 129-135 (1996)Some health effects associated with wood, cotton, flax, jute and hemp particles or fibres are not attributable to cellulose content but to other substances and/or impurities.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Principal routes of exposure are by accidental skin and eye contact andinhalation of generated dusts.  Inhalation studies indicate that cellulose fibres may be fibrogenic; this finding continues to be the subject of extensive research. Cellulose is not considered an inert substance because:  ·  in rats, it causes granulomatous fibrosing alveolitis at the end of the third month after exposure,  · in rats there was an increase in the secretion of plasminogen activator and interleukin 1 as well as the release of lactate dehydrogenase from macrophages, in a manner similar to asbestos,  · there were increases in the incidence of obstructive lung diseases and bronchial asthma in humans at work and in the residential environment where exposure to cellulose was common,  · the substance may induce free radical production in human leucocytes.  Cotton dust disease, "byssinosis", is well known among cotton mill workers. Cotton dust consists largely of cellulose fibre. Exposure to two components of the total dust, the "respirable" and "medium" fraction correlated significantly with the prevalence of respiratory symptoms. Inhalation exposure to a concentration of 0.3 to 0.4 mg/m3 of "fly-  free" dust results in a 20% occurrence of byssinosis. "Fly-free" dust is the sum of respirable and medium-length fibres. At 0.46 mg/m3, Grade II byssinosis occurs. A byssinosis (all grades) prevalence of 20%, at 0.3 mg/m3 occurs when the fibre length is less than 15 um (aerodynamic equivalent diameter). Byssinosis is not caused by mechanical irritation but by reactions caused by pharmacologically active substances producing oedema or contraction of the smooth musculature of the airways. The causative agent is suspected to be an endotoxin, in turn, thought to be a cell wall component of bacteria found in cotton. Symptoms of byssinosis include chest tightness, wheezing and dyspnoea. Symptoms usually appear after an absence from work and may subside after 2-days of exposure. As the disease progresses, symptoms may persist for longer periods until they are constant. The individual may eventually exhibit chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Increased physical exertion may produce shortness of breath.  Studies indicate that diets containing large amounts of non-absorbable polysaccharides, such as cellulose, might decrease absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus.