Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

P-N-BUTYLPHENOL

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Intermediate. In the manufacture of varnish and lacquer resins, plasticisers and
surfactants.

SYNONYMS

C10-H14-O, C2H5-CH(CH3)-C6H4-OH, "phenols, butyl-", 4-butylphenol, 4-butylphenol

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

None

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Causes burns.
Risk of serious damage to eyes.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  The material can produce chemical burns within the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract following ingestion.  Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual.  Some phenol derivatives can cause damage to the digestive system. If absorbed, profuse sweating, thirst, nausea, vomiting diarrhea, cyanosis, restlessness, stupor, low blood pressure, gasping, abdominal pain, anemia, convulsions, coma and lung swelling can happen followed by pneumonia. There may be respiratory failure and kidney damage. Chemical burns,  seizures and irregular heartbeat may result.  

EYE

  The material can produce chemical burns to the eye following direct contact. Vapors or mists may be extremely irritating.  If applied to the eyes, this material causes severe eye damage.  Some phenol derivatives may produce mild to severe eye irritation with redness, pain and blurred vision. Permanent eye injury may occur; recovery may also be complete or partial.  

SKIN

  The material can produce chemical burns following direct contactwith the skin.  Skin contact with the material may damage the health of the individual; systemic effects may result following absorption.  Phenol and its derivatives can cause severe skin irritation if contact is maintained, and can be absorbed to the skin affecting the cardiovascular and central nervous system. Effects include sweating, intense thirst, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cyanosis, restlessness, stupor, low blood pressure, hyperventilation, abdominal pain, anemia, convulsions, coma, lung swelling followed by pneumonia. Respiratory failure and kidney damage may follow.  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*.  If inhaled, this material can irritate the throat andlungs of some persons.  Inhalation of aerosols (mists, fumes), generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be damaging to the health of the individual.  If phenols are absorbed via the lungs, systemic effects may occur affecting the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Inhalation can result in profuse perspiration, intense thirst, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cyanosis, restlessness, stupor, falling blood pressure, hyperventilation, abdominal pain, anemia, convulsions, coma, swelling and inflammation of the lung. This is followed by respiratory failure and kidney damage. Phenols also cause loss of sensation and general depression at high concentrations. The toxicities of phenol derivatives vary.  Inhalation of quantities of liquid mist may be extremely hazardous, even lethal due to spasm, extreme irritation of larynx and bronchi, chemical pneumonitis and pulmonary edema.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Repeated or prolonged exposure to corrosives may result in the erosion of teeth, inflammatory and ulcerative changes in the mouth and necrosis (rarely) of the jaw. Bronchial irritation, with cough, and frequent attacks of bronchial pneumonia may ensue. Gastrointestinal disturbances may also occur. Chronic exposures may result in dermatitis and/or conjunctivitis.  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  There is limited evidence that, skin contact with this product is more likely to cause a sensitization reaction in some persons compared to the general population.  Exposure to the material may cause concerns for human fertility, on the basis that similar materials provide some evidence 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 are not a secondary non-specific consequence of other toxic effects..  Long-term exposure to phenol derivatives can cause skin inflammation, loss of appetite and weight, weakness, muscle aches and pain, liver damage, dark urine, loss of nails, skin eruptions, diarrhea, nervous disorders with headache, salivation, fainting, discoloration of the skin and eyes, vertigo and mental disorders, and damage to the liver and kidneys.  Exposure to alkyl phenolics  is associated with reduced sperm count andfertility in males.