Ammonium Bifluoride

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW APPEARANCE: white solid. DANGER! Causes eye and skin burns. Corrosive. Hygroscopic. Harmful if swallowed. May cause severe respiratory tract irritation with possible burns. May cause severe digestive tract irritation with possible burns. May cause skeletal abnormalties. TARGET ORGANS: Kidneys, respiratory system, skeletal structures.

Potential health effects

EYE: Causes eye burns. May cause chemical conjuctivitis and corneal damage. SKIN: Contact with liquid is corrosive and causes sever burns and ulceration. May penetrate the skin and cause sever tissue and bone destruction. May cause skin rash (in milder cases), and cold and clammy skin with cyanosis and pale color. INGESTION: Harmful if swallowed. May cause severe and permanent damage to the digestive tract. May cause kidney damage. May cause perforation of the digestive tract. Causes severe digestive tract burns with abdominal pain, vomiting, and possible death. Inorganic fluorides can be harmful. Acute exposure to fluorine compounds can lead to digestive tract burns, and abdominal pain. Fluorides can reduce calcium levels leading to fatal hypocalcemia. May cause systemic effects. INHALATION: Causes chemical burns to the respiratory tract. Inhalation may be fatal as a result of spasm, inflammation, edema of the larnyx and bronchi, chemical pneumonitis and pulmonary edema. Aspiration may lead to pulmonary edema. Depletes calcium levels in the body which can lead to hypocalcemia and death. May cause systemic effects. CHRONIC: Chronic inhalation and ingestion may cause chronic fluoride poisoning (fluorosis) characterized by weight loss, weakness, anemia, brittle bones, and stiff joints. May cause digestive tract disturbances. Effects may be delayed. Chronic exposure to fluoride may cause systemic toxicity.