HEXANE

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

Principle Routes of Exposure

SKIN CONTACT...............CAUSES MILD IRRITATION, REDNESS, CRACKING AND DRYING. SKIN ABSORPTION............NO EVIDENCE OF ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM AVAILABLE INFORMATION. EYE CONTACT................MAY CAUSE IRRITATION, EXPERIENCED AS STINGING WITH EXCESS BLINKING AND TEAR PRODUCTION. REDNESS INHALATION.................SLIGHTLY TOXIC. NOSE AND THROAT IRRITATION. EXPOSURE TO HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF VAPOUR MAY CAUSE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSION RESULTING IN SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF TOXICITY AS DESCRIBED FOR "INGESTION". THESE HIGH LEVELS MAY ALSO CAUSE CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS (IRREGULAR HEARTBEATS). INGESTION..................LOW TOXICITY. MAY CAUSE GASTROINTESTINAL IRRITATION. MAY CAUSE HEADACHE, NAUSEA, VOMITING AND WEAKNESS. ASPIRATION HAZARD - THIS MATERIAL CAN ENTER LUNGS DURING SWALLOWING OR VOMITING AND CAUSE LUNG INFLAMMATION AND DAMAGE. EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXPOSURE........DIZZINESS, INTOXICATION, STUPOR, LIGHTHEADEDNESS, LOSS OF APPETITE, NAUSEA. REFER TO ROUTE OF ENTRY EFFECTS OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE......PROLONGED OVEREXPOSURE TO SOLVENTS HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH PERMANENT BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM DAMAGE. INTENTIONAL MISUSE BY DELIBERATELY CONCENTRATING AND INHALING THIS PRODUCT MAY BE HARMFUL OR FATAL. MAY AGGRAVATE ASTHMA AND INFLAMMATORY OR FIBROTIC PULMONARY DISEASE. MAY AGGRAVATE AN EXISTING DERMATITIS. EXCESSIVE EXPOSURE TO N-HEXANE CAN RESULT IN PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHIES. THE INITIAL SYMPTOMS ARE SYMMETRICAL SENSORY NUMBNESS AND PARESTHESIAS OF DISTAL PORTIONS OF THE EXTREMITIES. MOTOR WEAKNESS IS TYPICALLY OBSERVED IN MUSCLES OF THE TOES AND FINGERS BUT MAY ALSO INVOLVE MUSCLES OF THE ARMS, THIGHS, AND FOREARMS. THE ONSET OF THESE SYMPTOMS MAY BE DELAYED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS TO A YEAR AFTER THE BEGINNING OF EXPOSURE. THE NEUROTOXIC PROPERTIES OF N-HEXANE ARE POTENTIATED BY EXPOSURE TO METHYL ETHYL KETONE AND METHYL ISOBUTYL KETONE. SEE ABOVE MEDICAL CONDITIONS AGGRAVATED....PREEXISTING RESPIRATORY DISEASE INCLUDING ASTHMA AND BY OVEREXPOSURE EMPHYSEMA. PERIPHERAL NERVE DISORDERS. SKIN DISORDERS AND ALLERGIES. RHYTHYM DISORDERS OF THE HEART.