Brucine sulfate

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

CHEMWATCH HAZARD RATINGS Min Max Flammability: 1 Toxicity: 4 Body Contact: 3 Min/Nil=0 Low=1 Reactivity: 1 CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS 1 of 6 EMERGENCY OVERVIEW RISK Toxic in contact with skin. Very toxic by inhalation and if swallowed. Harmful to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment.

Potential Acute Health Effects

SWALLOWED Severely toxic effects may result from the accidental ingestion of the material; animal experiments indicate that ingestion of less than 5 gram may be fatal or may produce serious damage to the health of the individual. The toxicity of strychnine is due to its strong excitatory effect on the central nervous system. Initially there may be tremors, stiffness and twitching of the face and legs; this progresses to apprehension, fear, nausea and a feeling of identity loss. 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 Skin contact with the material may produce toxic effects; systemic effectsmay result following absorption. The material is not thought to be a skin irritant (as classified using animal models). Abrasive damage however, may result from prolonged exposures. 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 Inhalation of dusts, generated by the material, during the course of normal handling, may produce severely toxic effects; these may be fatal. The material is not thought to produce respiratory irritation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless inhalation of dusts, or fume, especially for prolonged periods, may produce respiratory discomfort and occasionally, distress. 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

Long-term exposure to the product is not thought to produce chronic effects adverse to the health (as classified using animal models); nevertheless exposure by all routes should be minimized as a matter of course. 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.