Hydroquinone

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW Appearance: colorless, light tan, or light gray crystals. Warning! Harmful if swallowed. May cause allergic skin reaction. Causes eye and skin irritation. May cause respiratory tract irritation. Air sensitive. May cause methemoglobinemia. This substance has caused adverse reproductive and fetal effects in animals. Light sensitive. May cause dermatitis. Target Organs: Central nervous system, eyes, skin.

Potential health effects

Eye: May cause eye irritation. Repeated exposure may cause corneal abnormalities including structural changes and brownish discoloration which can lead to decreased visual acuity and blindness. Skin: Causes severe skin irritation. May cause skin sensitization, an allergic reaction, which becomes evident upon re-exposure to this material. May cause dermatitis. Repeated exposure may cause hyperpigmentation of fair skin and depigmentation of dark skin. Ingestion: May cause severe irritation of the digestive tract. May be harmful if swallowed. May cause dizziness, nausea, sense of suffocation, increased respiratory rate, vomiting, pallor, muscle twitching, cyanosis (bluish discoloration of skin due to deficient oxygenation of the blood), delirium, collapse. May cause green or brownish green urine which continues to darken upon standing. May cause harmful nervous system effects, including tremors and convulsions. Inhalation: Inhalation of dust may cause respiratory tract irritation. Pure hydroquinone does not readily form a vapor at room temperature. The dust my cause irritation of the nose, throat and upper respiratory tract. In the presence of air and moisture, hydroquinone dust may react to form irritating quinone which forms a vapor at room temperature. The rate of this reaction depends on the pH of the medium, with alkaline solutions reacting more readily. Therefore, exposures to hydroquinone dust may involve exposure to quinone vapor which is a respiratory irritant. The degree of irritation depends on how much quinone is formed. Chronic: Prolonged or repeated skin contact may cause sensitization dermatitis and possible destruction and/or ulceration.