4-Nitroquinoline N-oxide

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

CHEMWATCH HAZARD RATINGS Min Max Flammability: 1 Toxicity: 2 Body Contact: 0 Min/Nil=0 Low=1 Reactivity: 2 Moderate=2 High=3 Chronic: 3 Extreme=4 CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS EMERGENCY OVERVIEW RISK Danger of cumulative effects. May cause CANCER.

Potential Acute Health Effects

SWALLOWED Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual. The substance and/or its metabolites may bind to hemoglobin inhibiting normal uptake of oxygen. This condition, known as "methemoglobinemia", is a form of oxygen starvation (anoxia). EYE Although the material is not thought to be an irritant, direct contact with the eye may cause transient discomfort characterized by tearing or conjunctival redness (as with windburn). Slight abrasive damage may also result. SKIN The material is not thought to produce adverse health effects or skin irritation following contact (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable gloves be used in an occupational setting. Open cuts, abraded or irritated skin should not be exposed to this material. Entry into the blood-stream, through, for example, cuts, abrasions or lesions, may produce systemic injury with harmful effects. Examine the skin prior to the use of the material and ensure that any external damage is suitably protected. INHALED The material is not thought to produce either adverse health effects or irritation of the respiratory tract following inhalation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless, adverse effects have been produced following exposure of animals by at least one other route and good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable control measures be used in an occupational setting. Persons with impaired respiratory function, airway diseases and conditions such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, may incur further disability if excessive concentrations of particulate are inhaled.

Potential chronic health

There is ample evidence that this material can be regarded as being able to cause cancer in humans based on experiments and other information. Repeated or long-term occupational exposure is likely to produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems. Long term exposure to high dust concentrations may cause changes in lung function i.e. pneumoconiosis; caused by particles less than 0.5 micron penetrating and remaining in the lung. Aromatic amine oxides, have some pharmaceutical importance, do not demonstrate surface-acting properties (as do aliphatic amine oxides) and are more resistant than aliphatic amine oxides to reduction. Among the aromatics, 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide is a powerful carcinogen, producing malignant tumors on the skin of mice. 2-Methyl, 2-ethyl, and 6-chloro derivatives of 4-nitroquinoline oxide are also carcinogens.