Arsenious Acid Solution

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

Emergency Overview Appearance: Clear, colorless solution Warning! Poison. Harmful if inhaled. May be fatal if swallowed. This substance has caused adverse reproductive and fetal effects in animals. May cause central nervous system effects, cardiac disturbances, lung damage, blood abnormalities, and liver and kidney damage. Causes eye and skin irritation. May cause severe respiratory and digestive tract irritation with possible burns. Cancer hazard. 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. - 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.