Chlorine

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

OSHA Emergency Overview DANGER! Toxic, corrosive, oxidizing liquid and gas under pressure. Harmful or fatal if inhaled. Causes eye, skin, and respiratory tract burns. Can support combustion. Self-contained breathing apparatus must be worrn by rescue workers. Odour: Pungent, irritating, choking.

Principle Routes of Exposure

Absorbed through skin. Eye contact. Inhalation. Ingestion. EFFECTS OF A SINGLE (ACUTE) OVEREXPOSURE: INHALATION: Overexposure to vapour concentrations moderately above the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) of 1 ppm is irritating to the eyes and upper respiratory tract. Very brief exposure to a concentration of 1000 ppm may be fatal. Inhalation of high concentration (e.g., greater than 15 ppm) causes choking, coughing, burning of the throat, and severe irritation of the upper respiratory tract; additionally, there is the possibility of pulmonary edema, general lung injury, and pneumonitis. Lack of oxygen can cause death. STEL: 1 ppm (ACGIH, OSHA) SKIN CONTACT: May cause severe irritation and chemical burns with ulceration and scarring of the skin. Repeated exposure of the skin may result in cumulative dermatitis. SKIN ABSORPTION: Prolonged or widespread skin contact with the liquid may result in the absorption of harmful amounts of material. SWALLOWING: An unlikely route of exposure. This product is a gas at normal temperature and pressure, but burns of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach may result. EYE CONTACT: Exposure as low as 3 - 6 ppm may cause redness, pain, blurred vision, or lacrimation. High concentrations or liquid contact may cause severe chemical burns with permanent damage or blindness. EFFECTS OF REPEATED (CHRONIC) OVEREXPOSURE: Repeated exposure may cause progressive lung dysfunction. Exposure may also corrode the teeth and may cause a chloracne-like condition. OTHER EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE: None known.

Medical Conditions Generally Aggravated by Exposure

OVEREXPOSURE Inhalation may aggravate asthma and inflammatory or fibrotic pulmonary disease, as well as heart disease. Skin contact may aggravate an existing dermatitis. SIGNIFICANT LABORATORY DATA WITH POSSIBLE RELEVANCE TO HUMAN HEALTH HAZARD EVALUATION: May cause severe inflammation of the conjunctiva, corneal opacity, iris atrophy, and lens injury. CARCINOGENICITY: A4 (Not classifiable for human or animal.) by ACGIH. Not listed as carcinogen by OSHA, NTP or IARC.