Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

WALSRODER NC E 950 30% IPA

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Binder for paints and laquer.

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Explosive when dry.
May form explosive peroxides.
Irritating to eyes.
Highly flammable.
Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation.
Toxic to aquatic organisms.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual.  High molecular weight material; on single acute exposure would be expected to pass through gastrointestinal tract with little change / absorption. Occasionally accumulation of the solid material within the alimentary tract may result in formation of a bezoar (concretion), producing discomfort.  The substance and/or its metabolites may bind to hemoglobin inhibiting normal uptake of oxygen. This condition, known as "methemoglobinemia", is a form of oxygen starvation (anoxia).  Symptoms include cyanosis (a bluish discoloration skin and mucous membranes) and breathing difficulties. Symptoms may not be evident until several hours after exposure.  At about 15% concentration of blood methemoglobin there is observable cyanosis of the lips, nose and earlobes. Symptoms may be absent although euphoria, flushed face and headache are commonly experienced. At 25-40%, cyanosis is marked but little disability occurs other than that produced on physical exertion. At 40-60%, symptoms include weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness, increasingly severe headache, ataxia, rapid shallow respiration, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, lethargy and stupor. Above 60% symptoms include dyspnea, respiratory depression, tachycardia or bradycardia, and convulsions. Levels exceeding 70% may be fatal.  Following ingestion, a single exposure to isopropyl alcohol produced lethargy and non-  specific effects such as weight loss and irritation. Ingestion of near-lethal doses of isopropanol produces histopathological changes of the stomach, lungs and kidneys, incoordination, lethargy, gastrointestinal tract irritation, and inactivity or anaesthesia.  Swallowing 10 ml. of isopropanol may cause serious injury; 100 ml. may be fatal if not promptly treated. The adult single lethal doses is approximately 250 ml. The toxicity of isopropanol is twice that of ethanol and the symptoms of intoxication appear to be similar except for the absence of an initial euphoric effect; gastritis and vomiting are more prominent. Ingestion may cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.  There is evidence that a slight tolerance to isopropanol may be acquired.  Overexposure to non-ring alcohols causes nervous system symptoms. These include headache, muscle weakness and inco-ordination, giddiness, confusion, delirium and coma. Digestive symptoms may include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Aspiration is much more dangerous than ingestion because lung damage can occur and the substance is absorbed into the body. Alcohols with ring structures and secondary and tertiary alcohols cause more severe symptoms, as do heavier alcohols.  

EYE

  This material can cause eye irritation and damage in some persons.  Isopropanol vapour may cause mild eye irritation at 400 ppm. Splashes may cause severe eye irritation, possible corneal burns and eye damage. Eye contact may cause tearing or blurring of vision.  

SKIN

  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.  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.  Most liquid alcohols appear to act as primary skin irritants in humans. Significant percutaneous absorption occurs in rabbits but not apparently in man.  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 may produce health damage*.  There is some evidence to suggest that this material, if inhaled, can irritate the throat and lungs of some persons.  The material is not thought to produce respiratory irritation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless inhalation of dusts, or fume, especially for prolonged periods, may produce respiratory discomfort and occasionally, distress.  Inhalation of vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness. This may be accompanied by narcosis, reduced alertness, loss of reflexes, lack of coordination and vertigo.  Inhalation of vapors or aerosols (mists, fumes), generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be damaging to the health of the individual.  Aliphatic alcohols with more than 3-carbons cause headache, dizziness, drowsiness, muscle weakness and delirium, central depression, coma, seizures and behavioral changes. Secondary respiratory depression and failure, as well as low blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms, may follow. Nausea and vomiting are seen, and liver and kidney damage is possible as well following massive exposures. Symptoms are more acute the more carbons there are in the alcohol.  If exposure to highly concentrated solvent atmosphere is prolonged this may lead to narcosis, unconsciousness, even coma and possible death.  The odour of isopropanol may give some warning of exposure, but odour fatigue may occur. Inhalation of isopropanol may produce irritation of the nose and throat with sneezing, sore throat and runny nose. The effects in animals subject to a single exposure, by inhalation, included inactivity or anaesthesia and histopathological changes in the nasal canal and auditory canal.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  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.  This material contains a substantial amount of polymer considered to be of low concern. These are classified under having MWs of between 1000 to 10000 with less than 25% of molecules with MWS under 1000 and less than 10% under 500; or having a molecular weight average of over 10000. Functional groups contained on the polymer are then classified into risk categories. Being classified as a polymer of "low concern" does not mean that there are no hazards associated with the chemical.  Long term or repeated ingestion exposure of isopropanol may produce incoordination, lethargy and reduced weight gain.  Repeated inhalation exposure to isopropanol may produce narcosis, incoordination and liver degeneration. Animal data show developmental effects only at exposure levels that produce toxic effects in the adult animals. Isopropanol does not cause genetic damage in bacterial or mammalian cell cultures or in animals.  There are inconclusive reports of human sensitisation from skin contact with isopropanol. Chronic alcoholics are more tolerant of systemic isopropanol than are persons who do not consume alcohol; alcoholics have survived as much as 500 ml. of 70% isopropanol.  Continued voluntary drinking of a 2.5% aqueous solution through two successive generations of rats produced no reproductive effects.  NOTE: Commercial isopropanol doers not contain "isopropyl oil". An excess incidence of sinus and laryngeal cancers in isopropanol production workers has been shown to be caused by the byproduct "isopropyl oil". Changes in the production processes now ensure that no byproduct is formed. Production changes include use of dilute sulfuric acid at higher temperatures.