Isobutyl alcohol

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW Appearance colorless, oily liquid. Flash Point 28 deg C Warning! Flammable liquid and vapor. May cause severe eye irritation and possible injury. Breathing vapors may cause drowsiness and dizziness. Causes skin and respiratory tract irritation. Target Organs: Central nervous system, respiratory system, eyes, skin.

Potential health effects

Eye: May cause severe eye irritation. May cause chemical conjunctivitis and corneal damage. A drop of isobutanol instilled into a rabbit's eye caused moderate to severe irritation but no permanent injury to the cornea. No evidence of eye irritation was noted with repeated 8-hour exposures at 100 ppm isobutanol vapor. Skin: Causes skin irritation. May be absorbed through the skin. Repeated or prolonged exposure may cause drying and cracking of the skin. Ingestion: Aspiration hazard. May cause gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. May cause central nervous system depression, characterized by excitement, followed by headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea. Advanced stages may cause collapse, unconsciousness, coma and possible death due to respiratory failure. Aspiration of material into the lungs may cause chemical pneumonitis, which may be fatal. Inhalation: Inhalation of high concentrations may cause central nervous system effects characterized by nausea, headache, dizziness, unconsciousness and coma. May cause respiratory tract irritation. Aspiration may lead to pulmonary edema. Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation. May cause corneal abnormalities and loss of appetite and weight. May cause burning sensation in the chest. Chronic: Not available. In studies of limited size, administration of isobutyl alcohol by subcutaneous injection or by gavage has been reported to cause an increased incidence of benign and malignant tumors in rats. The relevance of these findings to humans is unknown.