Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

LAURYL SULFATE

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Intermediate; surfactant

SYNONYMS

C12-H26-O4-S, "sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester", "dodecanesulfonic acid, hydroxy-",
"dodecyl sulfate", "dodecylsulfuric acid", "lauryl sulphate", "lauryl sulfuric acid",
"monododecyl hydrogen sulfate"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Harmful if swallowed.

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.  Nonionic surfactants may produce localized irritation of the oral or gastrointestinal lining and induce vomiting and mild diarrhea.  

EYE

  Non-ionic surfactants can cause numbing of the cornea, which masks discomfort normally caused by other agents and leads to corneal injury. Irritation varies depending on the duration of contact, the nature and concentration of the surfactant.  

SKIN

  The liquid may produce skin discomfort following prolonged contact. Defatting and/or drying of the skin may lead to dermatitis.  Repeated skin contact with some sulfonated surfactants has produced sensitization dermatitis in predisposed individuals.  

INHALED

  Considered an unlikely route of entry in commercial/industrial environments.  Inhalation of vapor may aggravate a pre-existing respiratory condition.  Respiratory sensitization may result in allergic/asthma like responses; from coughing and minor breathing difficulties to bronchitis with wheezing, gasping.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Principal routes of exposure are by accidental skin and eye contact and by inhalation of vapors especially at higher temperatures.  There is some evidence that inhaling this product is more likely to cause a sensitization reaction in some persons compared to the general population.  Alkyl-substituted sulfonates are thought to induce genetic mutations in cells.