Ammonium hexacyanoferrate(II) hydrate

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

CHEMWATCH HAZARD RATINGS Min Max Flammability: 0 Toxicity: 2 Body Contact: 0 Min/Nil=0 Low=1 Reactivity: 0 Moderate=2 High=3 Chronic: 2 Extreme=4 CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS EMERGENCY OVERVIEW RISK Toxic to aquatic organisms.

Potential Acute Health Effects

SWALLOWED Accidental ingestion of the material may be damaging to the health of the individual. A number of materials such as cyanamide, calcium cyanamide, cyanates, isocyanates, isonitrile, thiocyanates, ferricyanide and ferrocyanide, and cyanoacetates do not exhibit the same toxic effects as cyanides and nitriles. Complex cyanides are compounds in which the cyanide anion is incorporated into a complex or complexes; these compounds are different in chemical and toxicologic properties from simple cyanides. In solution, the stability of the cyanide complex varies with the type of cation and the complex that it forms. Large doses of ammonia or injected ammonium salts may produce diarrhea and may be sufficiently absorbed to produce increased production of urine and systemic poisoning. Symptoms include weakening of facial muscle, tremor, anxiety, reduced muscle and limb control. 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. Solution of material in moisture on the skin, or perspiration, mayincrease irritant effects. 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. Not normally a hazard due to non-volatile nature of product.

Potential chronic health

Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems. Overexposure to respirable dust may cause coughing, wheezing, difficulty in breathing and impaired lung function. Chronic symptoms may include decreased vital lung capacity, chest infections Repeated exposures, in an occupational setting, to high levels of fine- divided dusts may produce a condition known as pneumoconiosis which is the lodgement of any inhaled dusts in the lung irrespective of the effect. This is particularly true when a significant number of particles less than 0.5 microns (1/50,000 inch), are present. Lung shadows are seen in the X-ray. Symptoms of pneumoconiosis may include a progressive dry cough, shortness of breath on exertion (exertional dyspnea), increased chest expansion, weakness and weight loss. As the disease progresses the cough produces a stringy mucous, vital capacity decreases further and shortness of breath becomes more severe. Other signs or symptoms include altered breath sounds, diminished lung capacity, diminished oxygen uptake during exercise, emphysema and pneumothorax (air in lung cavity) as a rare complication. Removing workers from possibility of further exposure to dust generally leads to halting the progress of the lung abnormalities. Where worker-exposure potential is high, periodic examinations with emphasis on lung dysfunctions should be undertaken Dust inhalation over an extended number of years may produce pneumoconiosis.. Pneumoconiosis is the accumulation of dusts in the lungs and the tissue reaction in its presence. It is further classified as being of noncollagenous or collagenous types. Noncollagenous pneumoconiosis, the benign form, is identified by minimal stromal reaction, consists mainly of reticulin fibres, an intact alveolar architecture and is potentially reversible. Chronic excessive intake of iron have been associated with damage to the liver and pancreas. People with a genetic disposition to poor control over iron are at an increased risk.