Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

WATERWERKS POND CLEAR

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

For the control of algae in freshwater ornamental fish ponds.

SYNONYMS

"algae control"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Limited evidence of a carcinogenic effect.
Harmful 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

  Although the liquid 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).  

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.  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

  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

  There has been some concern that this material can cause cancer or mutations but there is not enough data to make an assessment.  There is some evidence to provide a presumption that human exposure to the material may result in impaired fertility on the basis of: some evidence in animal studies of impaired fertility in the absence of toxic effects, or evidence of impaired fertility occurring at around the same dose levels as other toxic effects but which is not a secondary non-  specific consequence of other toxic effects.  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.