Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

LEAD(II) ARSENATE

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Occurs in nature as schultenite. Constituent of various insecticides for larvae of gypsy
moth, boll weevil.

SYNONYMS

As2-O8.3Pb, Pb3(AsO4)2, "arsenic acid, lead(2+) salt (2:3)", arsinette, gypsine,
scultenite, "Nu Rexform", "Ortho L10 Dust", Soprabel, Talbot

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Danger of cumulative effects.
May cause harm to the unborn child.
Possible risk of impaired fertility.
Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through
inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Toxic by inhalation and if swallowed.
Very toxic to aquatic organisms.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Toxic effects may result from the accidental ingestion of the material; animal experiments indicate that ingestion of less than 40 gram may be fatal or may produce serious damage to the health of the individual.  

EYE

  Although the material 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).  The dust may produce eye discomfort causing smarting, pain and redness.  

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.  

INHALED

  The material is not thought to produce respiratory irritation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless inhalation of the material, especially for prolonged periods, may produce respiratory discomfort and occasionally, distress.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Ample evidence exists that developmental disorders are directlycaused by human exposure to the material.  

  Principal routes of exposure are by accidental skin and eye contact andinhalation of generated dusts.  Lead, in large amounts, can affect the blood, nervous system, heart, glands, immune system and digestive system. Anemia may occur. If untreated muscles may become paralyzed, and there may be brain damage. Symptoms include joint and muscle pain, weakness in the back of the forearm and wrist and in the shin muscles, headaches, dizziness, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, vomiting, blue line on gums, sleep disturbance and a metallic taste in the mouth. The pressure in the brain may increase with high doses,  and cause brain damage, coma, and death. Early signs include loss of appetite and weight, constipation, tiredness and irritability, headache, weakness. Later there may be vomiting,  nervousness, and muscle pains in the arms and legs. Serious cases cause severe vomiting, inco-ordination, stupor, permanent eye damage, high blood pressure, multiple nerve disorders of the head resulting in paralysis and loss of reflexes, delirium, convulsions and coma. The kidneys may become irreversibly damaged, and the nervous system may become affected causing mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and jerks and seizures.  Lead can accumulate in the skeleton for a very long time.  Lead can cross the placenta, and cause miscarriage, stillbirths and birth defects. Exposure before birth can cause mental retardation, behavioral disorders and infant death. Lead can also cause reduced sex drive, impotence, sterility and damage the sperm of males, increasing the potential for birth defects. Periods in women can also be affected.  Long-term exposure to arsenic and its inorganic salts may produce loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, low fever, persistent headache, pallor, weakness and phlegm. Skin effects include redness, eczema, pigmentation, diffuse hair loss, scaling of the palms and soles, sloughing, brittle nails, white lines or bands on the nails, loss of hair and nails, and localized swelling. Kidney damage can occur and liver enlargement with jaundice may develop into cirrhosis (hardening of the liver), with fluid in the abdomen. Nervous system effects involving the extremities (numbness, tingling, burning pain, weakness, inco-ordination) may also occur. Arsenic is well-known to cause cancer in humans.