Potassium

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

Identification Emergency Emergency Overview Overview Appearance: Appearance: Clear, Clear, colorless colorless liquid. liquid. Caution! Caution! Strong Strong oxidizer. oxidizer. May May cause cause irritation irritation to to eyes, eyes, skin, skin, respiratory respiratory and and gastrointestinal gastrointestinal tracts. Target Target Organs: Organs: Blood, Blood, kidneys, kidneys, central central nervous nervous system. system.

Potential health effects

Potential Health Effects Eye: May May cause cause eye eye irritation. irritation. Skin: May May cause cause mild mild skin skin irritation. irritation. Ingestion: Ingestion of large quantities may cause violent gastroenteritis with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain. May cause methemoglobinemia. Symptoms may include vertigo, muscular weakness, irregular pulse, convulsions, anoxia, coma, fall in blood pressure, roaring sound in the ears, persistant throbbing headache, generalized tingling sensation, heart palpitations, and visual - 1 - disturbances caused by increased intraocular tension and intracranial pressure. Circulatory collapse and death may occur. Inhalation: Inhalation may cause coughing, dyspnea, headache, flushing of skin, nausea, vomiting, shock, marked hypotension, cyanosis, convulsions, coma, respiratory paralysis. Chronic: Repeated or prolonged exposure to small amounts may affect the blood, respiration and kidneys and produce anemia, methemoglobinemia with attendant cyanosis and anoxia, hyperpnea and later dyspnea, and nephritis.