Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

HACH NITRA-VER 6 NITRATE REAGENT POWDER PILLOWS

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Used for the determination of nitrate..

SYNONYMS

"monitor reagent", MOOO61

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

May cause CANCER.
Possible risk of impaired fertility.
Possible risk of harm to the unborn child.
Possible risk of irreversible effects.
Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through
inhalation and if swallowed.
Harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin.
Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long- term adverse effects in the aquatic
environment.

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.  Strong evidence exists that the substance may cause irreversible but non-lethal mutagenic effects following a single exposure.  Sulfates are not well absorbed orally, but can cause diarrhea.  Ingestion of low-molecular organic acid solutions may produce spontaneous hemorrhaging, production of blood clots, gastrointestinal damage and narrowing of the esophagus and stomach entry.  Salts of tartaric acid (including Rochelle salt and Seidlitz powder) and the acid itself have all produced serious poisonings or fatalities in man. Gastrointestinal symptoms are marked and include violent vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and thirst followed by cardiovascular collapse and/or kidney failure.  

EYE

  This material can cause eye irritation and damage in some persons.  Solutions of low-molecular weight organic acids cause pain and injuryto the eyes.  

SKIN

  Skin contact with the material may be harmful; systemic effects may resultfollowing absorption.  This material can cause inflammation of the skin oncontact in some persons.  The material may accentuate any pre-existing dermatitis condition.  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 of dusts, generated by the material, during the course of normalhandling, may be harmful.  The material can cause respiratory irritation in some persons. The body's response to such irritation can cause further lung damage.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through inhalation and if swallowed.  Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through inhalation and if swallowed.  This material can cause serious damage if one is exposed to it for long periods. It can be assumed that it contains a substance which can produce severe defects. This has been demonstrated via both short- and long-term experimentation.  On the basis of epidemiological data, it has been concluded that prolonged inhalation of the material, in an occupational setting, may produce cancer in humans.  Ample evidence from experiments exists that there is a suspicionthis material directly reduces fertility.  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.  Exposure to the material may result in a possible risk of irreversible effects. The material may produce mutagenic effects in man. This concern is raised, generally, on the basis ofappropriate studies using mammalian somatic cells in vivo. Such findings are often supported by positive results from in vitro mutagenicity studies.  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  Chronic intoxication with ionic bromides, historically, has resulted from medical use of bromides but not from environmental or occupational exposure; depression, hallucinosis, and schizophreniform psychosis can be seen in the absence of other signs of intoxication. Bromides may also induce sedation, irritability, agitation, delirium, memory loss, confusion, disorientation, forgetfulness (aphasias), dysarthria, weakness, fatigue, vertigo, stupor, coma, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, hallucinations,  an acne like rash on the face, legs and trunk, known as bronchoderma (seen in 25-30% of case involving bromide ion), and a profuse discharge from the nostrils (coryza). Ataxia and generalised hyperreflexia have also been observed. Correlation of neurologic symptoms with blood levels of bromide is inexact. The use of substances such as brompheniramine, as antihistamines, largely reflect current day usage of bromides; ionic bromides have been largely withdrawn from therapeutic use due to their toxicity. Several cases of foetal abnormalities have been described in mothers who took large doses of bromides during pregnancy.  Chronic cadmium poisoning causes softening of the bones, reduced bone density, kidney stones and increased blood pressure. There may be cardiovascular disease and a yellow ring in the tooth structure. Repeated or prolonged exposure can lead to loss of smell, ulcers in the nose, emphysema and mild anemia. The risk of prostate, respiratory, bowel and genito-urinary cancers may be increased in humans.