Diethylene glycol

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

CHEMWATCH HAZARD RATINGS Min Max Flammability: 1 Toxicity: 2 Body Contact: 2 Min/Nil=0 Low=1 Reactivity: 1 CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS 1 of 10 EMERGENCY OVERVIEW RISK Harmful if swallowed.

Potential Acute Health Effects

SWALLOWED Accidental ingestion of the material may be harmful; animal experiments indicate that ingestion of less than 150 gram may be fatal or may produce serious damage to the health of the individual. Overexposure to non-ring alcohols causes nervous system symptoms. These include headache, muscle weakness and inco-ordination, giddiness, confusion, delirium and coma. Digestive symptoms may include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Aspiration is much more dangerous than ingestion because lung damage can occur and the substance is absorbed into the body. Alcohols with ring structures and secondary and tertiary alcohols cause more severe symptoms, as do heavier alcohols. The toxic effects of glycols (dihydric alcohols), following ingestion are similar to those of alcohol, with depression of the central nervous system (CNS), nausea, vomiting and degenerative changes in liver and kidney. EYE Limited evidence or practical experience suggests, that the material may cause eye irritation in a substantial number of individuals. Prolonged eye contact may cause inflammation characterized by a temporary redness of the conjunctiva (similar to windburn). SKIN Skin contact with the material may damage the health of the individual; systemic effects may result following absorption. There is some evidence to suggest that the material may cause mild but significant inflammation of the skin either following direct contact or after a delay of some time. Repeated exposure can cause contact dermatitis which is characterized by redness, swelling and blistering. Most liquid alcohols appear to act as primary skin irritants in humans. Significant percutaneous absorption occurs in rabbits but not apparently in man. 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 respiratory irritation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless inhalation of vapors, fumes or aerosols, especially for prolonged periods, may produce respiratory discomfort and occasionally, distress. Inhalation of vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness. This may be accompanied by narcosis, reduced alertness, loss of reflexes, lack of coordination and vertigo. Inhalation of aerosols (mists, fumes), generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may be damaging to the health of the individual. Aliphatic alcohols with more than 3-carbons cause headache, dizziness, drowsiness, muscle weakness and delirium, central depression, coma, seizures and behavioral changes. Secondary respiratory depression and failure, as well as low blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms, may follow. Nausea and vomiting are seen, and liver and kidney damage is possible as well following massive exposures. Symptoms are more acute the more carbons there are in the alcohol.

Potential chronic health

Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems. There is some evidence that human exposure to the material may result in developmental toxicity. This evidence is based on animal studies where effects have been observed in the absence of marked maternal toxicity, or at around the same dose levels as other toxic effects but which are not secondary non-specific consequences of the other toxic effects. The material may accumulate in the human body and progressively causetissue damage. There are no human reports of toxic effects following vapour exposures. A chronic dietary feeding study with rats showed mild kidney injury at 1% with concentrations of 2 and 4% producing more marked kidney injury. In addition, at 2% and 4% dietary concentrations, some rats developed benign papillary tumours of the urinary bladder. These have been attributed to the presence of urinary bladder calcium oxalate stones. Mice exposed to vapour concentrations of 4-5 mg/m3/2hr/day for 6-7 months developed malignant mammary tumours. To produce an environment of this concentration requires heating diethylene glycol to 30-35 deg C inside a closed chamber. In other experiments where rats and mice were exposed to similar concentrations, structural changes in the central nervous system, endocrine and parenchymatous organs developed. Although there appears to be little danger from occasional short-term inhalation, this data suggests there may be a hazard from repeated exposures. No evidence for carcinogenicity was found in chronic skin painting studies in mice. The absence of direct chemical carcinogenic effect accords with the results of in vitro genotoxicity studies which show that it does not produce either mutagenic or clastogenic effects. A feeding study employing very high concentrations of diethylene glycol in the diet failed to elicit teratogenic effects. In a further study, diethylene glycol applied to the skin of rats for 2 months, produced oedema of the brain, plethora, and minute brain haemorrhage.