Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

VEOLIA A20 DISPERSANT

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Scale inhibitor for boiler and cooling systems.

SYNONYMS

"scale inhibitor", "A 20"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Irritating to skin.
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

  There is some evidence to suggest that this material can causeeye irritation and damage in some persons.  The material may produce moderate eye irritation leading to inflammation. Repeated or prolonged exposure to irritants may produce conjunctivitis.  

SKIN

  This material can cause inflammation of the skin oncontact in some persons.  The material may accentuate any pre-existing dermatitis condition.  The material may cause severe skin irritation after prolonged or repeated exposure and may produce on contact skin redness, swelling, the production of vesicles, scaling and thickening of the skin. Repeated exposures may produce severe ulceration.  

INHALED

  Not normally a hazard due to non-volatile nature of product.  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

  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  Long term exposure to organophosphonate chelating agents may cause adverse effects.  Rats fed on aminotri(methylenephosphonic acid) (ATMP), for up to 24 months, exhibited reduced body weight and changes in liver, spleen and kidney weights. No adverse histologic. haematologic, biochemical or urinological effects were seen. The "no-effect" level was 150 mg/kg/day. No significant teratogenic or foetotoxic effects were observed in the off-spring of rats and mice exposed to the neutral sodium salt, by gavage. No maternal toxicity was observed at any level. No adverse treatment related effects or reproductive parameters and no pathological or histopathological lesions were observed in either parental animals or pups following dietary exposure of the solid active acid at various times in the mating and birth cycle for three generations.  Rats fed on ethylenediamine(methylenephosphonic acid (EDTMP) (300 mg/kg daily for 10 weeks) before mating and up to the end of the mating period, showed reduced body weights, defects in dental enamel on the incisors and significantly reduced liver weights. In an ongoing study, several rats treated with EDTMP (50-333 mg/kg/day) died during the first twelve months and were seen to have osteosarcomas with metastases. Other adverse effects of EDTMP treatment included increased white blood cell counts in mice, anaemia and reduction in erythrocytes, haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum cholesterol, total serum protein and globulin, in rats.  In a one-generation reproductive study the off-spring of rats, fed up to 3000 ppm DTPMPA (diethylenetriaminepentakis(methylenephosphonic acid)), showed no adverse effects although there was a slight decrease in birth weights.