Methyl Bromide

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

NFPA – RATINGS (SCALE 0-4) Emergency overview Colourless gas, odourless at low concentrations; sweetish odour at very high concentrations. Clear, colourless to straw-coloured liquid under pressure or below 3.5°C. Methyl bromide may be fatal if inhaled and harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin. It is a neurotoxin and a severe irritant to the upper and lower respiratory tract, skin and eyes.

Potential health effects

Eye Contact Severe irritant Contact with liquid or high concentrations of gas with the eyes may cause severe but usually reversible injury involving temporary blindness. - Skin contact Liquid splashed on clothing or leather or high gas concentrations held in contact with skin, may cause skin burns with large blisters appearing after several hours. Less severe exposures may cause itching skin rash even after several days. May be absorbed through the skin in sufficient amount to cause systemic toxicity. - Inhalation Acute poisoning from methyl bromide is characterized by marked irritation to the respiratory tract which may lead, in severe cases, to pulmonary edema. High concentrations may damage the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning include headache, dizziness, somnolence, vertigo, blurred vision, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting and possibly convulsions and coma. ONSET OF TOXIC SYMPTOMS MAY BE DELAYED FROM 30 MINUTES TO SEVERAL DAYS. - Ingestion Severe irritant to mucous membranes and toxic poison if ingested, although ingestion is highly unlikely. Chronic effects/Carcinogenicity Chronic exposure to low concentrations of methyl bromide may produce central nervous system effects. Signs include mental confusion, lethargy, inability to focus one's eye, incoordination and muscle weakness. Repeated skin contact may cause dermatitis.

NFPA Ratings

Scale 0-4) Health = 3, Fire = 1, Reactivity = 0