Hydrogen chloride

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

Emergency Overview DANGER! Toxic, corrosive high pressure gas. May cause liver damage. .Causes eye, skin and respiratory tract burns. Self-contained breathing apparatus must be worn by rescue workers.

Principle Routes of Exposure

Inhalation. Swallowing. Skin contact. Skin absoprtion. Eye contact. EFFECTS OF A SINGLE (ACUTE) OVEREXPOSURE: INHALATION: Overexposure to vapour concentrations moderately above the Threshold Limit Value (TLV) of 5 ppm is irritating to the upper respiratory tract. Intolerable concentrations are in the range of 50 – 100 ppm for 60 minutes or 10 – 50 ppm for several hours. Inhalation of high concentration (e.g., greater than 50 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 ulceration of the nose, throat, and larynx. Exposure to concentration of 1500 – 2000 ppm for a few minutes is life-threatening. Liver and kidney injury has been reported after exposure to vapours. 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 Prolonged or widespread skin contact with the liquid may result in the absorption of harmful ABSORPTION: amounts of material. SWALLOWING: A highly unlikely route of exposure. This product is a gas at room temperature and pressure. May cause chemical burns of the mouth throat, esophagus, and stomach with severe abdominal and chest pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, and collapse. EYE CONTACT: May cause pain, tearing, and closing of the eyelids.. The severity of the injury depends on the concentration and duration of contact and may range from slight excess redness and irritation to conjunctiva to total corneal opacification and blindness. EFFECTS OF REPEATED (CHRONIC) OVEREXPOSURE: Causes damage to the following organs: liver, upper respiratory tract, skin, eyes. Prolonged or repeated exposure may cause discoloration or erosion of teeth, bleeding of nose and gums, and ulceration of the nasal mucosa. OTHER EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE: None known .

Medical Conditions Generally Aggravated by Exposure

OVEREXPOSURE Breathing of vapour (and/or mist) may aggravate asthma and inflammatory or fibrotic pulmonary disease. The skin irritating effects of the material may aggravate an existing dermatitis. SIGNIFICANT LABORATORY DATA WITH POSSIBLE RELEVANCE TO HUMAN HEALTH HAZARD EVALUATION: None currently known. CARCINOGENICITY: Not listed as carcinogen by OSHA, NTP or IARC.