Arsenic Trioxide

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

Emergency Overview Appearance: White solid Danger! May be fatal if swallowed. Poison! Contains inorganic arsenic. Harmful if inhaled. Cancer hazard. Causes eye and skin irritation. May cause severe respiratory and digestive tract irritation with possible burns. May cause blood abnormalities. May cause lung damage. May cause central nervous system effects. May cause cardiac disturbances. May cause liver and kidney damage. This substance has caused adverse reproductive and fetal effects in animals. Target Organs: Kidneys, central nervous system, liver, lungs, cardiovascular system, red blood cells, skin.

Potential health effects

Eye: Contact produces irritation, tearing, and burning pain. May cause conjunctivitis. Skin: Causes irritation with burning pain, itching, and redness. May cause dermatitis. Exposure to arsenic compounds may produce hyperpigmentation of the skin and hyperkeratoses of plantar and palmar surfaces as well as both primary irritation and sensitization types. - 1 - Ingestion: May be fatal if swallowed. Causes severe digestive tract burns with abdominal pain, vomiting, and possible death. May cause hemorrhaging of the digestive tract. Ingestion of arsenical compounds may cause burning of the lips, throat constriction, swallowing difficulties, severe abdominal pain, severe nausea, projectile vomiting, and profuse diarrhea. Ingestion of arsenic compounds can produce convulsions, coma, and possibly death within 24 hours. Inhalation: May cause severe irritation of the respiratory tract with sore throat, coughing, shortness of breath and delayed lung edema. Inhalation of arsenic compounds may lead to irritation of the respiratory tract and to possible nasal perforation. Long-term exposure to arsenic compounds may produce impairment of peripheral circulation. Chronic: May cause liver and kidney damage. Chronic inhalation may cause nasal septum ulceration and perforation. May cause anemia and other blood cell abnormalities. Chronic skin effects include cracking, thickening, pigmentation, and drying of the skin. Arsenic trioxide can cause cancer in humans. Other long-term effects include anemia, liver and kidney damage. Chronic exposure to arsenical dust may cause shortness of breath, nausea, chest pains, and garlic odor.