SOPRALASTIC 110

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW Flammable paste and vapour. May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways. Harmful if swallowed. May cause respiratory irritation or drowsiness or dizziness. Causes skin irritation. Causes eye irritation. Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child. May cause damage to the central nervous system (CNS) through prolonged or repeated exposure if inhaled. Obtain special instructions before use. Do not handle until all safety precautions have been read and understood. Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames and hot surfaces. No smoking. Use explosion proof electrical equipment. Use only non-sparking tools. Take precautionary measures against static discharge. Do not eat or drink when using this product. Avoid breathing vapours. Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Wash hands thoroughly after handling. Wear protective gloves, eye protection and an organic vapour respirator. Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed. Keep cool. Store locked up. Dispose of container in accordance with local, regional and national regulations. SECTION III: COMPOSITION AND INFORMATION ON DANGEROUS INGREDIENTS NAME CAS # % WEIGHT EXPOSURE LIMIT (ACGIH) TLV-TWA TLV-STEL Asphalt 8052-42-4 15-40 0.5 mg/m³ Not established Xylene 1330-20-7 10-30 100 ppm 150 ppm Effects of Short-Term (Acute) Exposure SKIN CONTACT Xylene: Xylene (mixed isomers) liquid is a moderate skin irritant based INHALATION on animal information. Studies with xylene isomers have shown Xylene: Xylene (mixed isomers) readily forms a vapour at room irritation, redness and a burning sensation can result from contact. These temperature. The main effect of inhaling xylene vapour is depression of effects are reversible shortly (usually within 1 hour) after the contact the CNS, with symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea and stops. Repeated or prolonged exposure to xylene can defat the skin vomiting. Volunteers have tolerated 100 ppm, but higher concentrations resulting in dermatitis (red, dry, itchy skin). Xylene (mixed isomers) become objectionable. Irritation of the nose and throat has occurred from liquid or vapour can be absorbed through the skin, but not as readily as exposure to approximately 200 ppm xylene (mixed isomers; unspecified when inhaled or ingested. (1) composition) for 3-5 minutes or to 50 ppm m-xylene for 2 hours. Exposures estimated as 700 ppm (xylene composition not specified) have Asphalt: Asphalt may cause irritation to the skin. (2) caused nausea and vomiting. An extremely high concentration EYE CONTACT (approximately 10 000 ppm, xylene composition not specified) has Xylene: Xylene (mixed isomers) liquid is a very mild irritant, based on caused incoordination, loss of consciousness, respiratory failure and animal information. (1) death. In some cases, a potentially fatal accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary oedema) may result. The symptoms of pulmonary oedema Asphalt: Asphalt, in this form, is not expected to cause eye irritation. (2) include coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath and can be delayed INGESTION for up to 24 or 48 hours after exposure. These symptoms are aggravated It is unlikely that toxic amounts of this product would be ingested with by physical exertion. However, these effects are rarely seen since xylenes normal handling and use. are irritating and identifiable by odour at much lower concentrations. Xylene (mixed isomers) can accumulate in a confined space increasing Xylene: Xylene (mixed isomers) is not considered toxic if ingested based the risk of toxicity. The only reported death resulted from exposure to on animal information. Ingestion of large amounts is likely to cause CNS approximately 10 000 ppm xylene (mixed isomers; unspecified effects such as dizziness, nausea and vomiting. (1) composition) for several hours while painting in a confined space. The Asphalt: No information available. worker who died had severe lung congestion and pulmonary oedema. For two other workers who survived the exposure, both had reversible liver Effects of Long-Term (Chronic) Exposure damage and one had reversible kidney damage. (1) SKIN CONTACT Asphalt: Exposure is not expected by this route of entry under normal Xylene: Prolonged contact with xylene (mixed isomers) is expected to product use. cause dermatitis (dry, red skin) because of its defatting action. (1) Asphalt: Repeated or prolonged contact may cause irritation. (2) SKIN SENSITIZATION TERATOGENICITY, EMBRYOTOXICITY, FETOTOXICITY Xylene: Xylene (mixed isomers) is not known to be an occupational skin Xylene: Xylene (mixed isomers) is considered fetotoxic in humans, based sensitizer. (1) on observations of reduced foetal weight, delayed ossification and persistent behavioural effects in animal studies in the absence of maternal Asphalt: No information available. toxicity. Other developmental effects have been observed in animal INHALATION studies in the presence of maternal toxicity. (1) Xylene: See effects described below. Asphalt: No information available. Asphalt: Exposure is not expected by this route of entry under normal product use. REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY Xylene: The limited information located suggests that xylene (mixed NERVOUS SYSTEM EFFECTS isomers) does not cause reproductive effects. Xylenes have been shown Xylene: Long-term xylene (mixed isomers) exposure may cause harmful to transfer into human breast milk. (1) effects on the nervous system, but there is not enough information available to draw firm conclusions. Symptoms such as headaches, Asphalt: No information available. irritability, depression, insomnia, agitation, extreme tiredness, tremors, MUTAGENICITY and impaired concentration and short-term memory have been reported Xylene: Xylene (mixed isomers) is not known to be a mutagen. Negative following long-term occupational exposure to xylenes and other solvents. results have been obtained in a few limited studies in humans. Negative This condition is often referred to as “organic solvent syndrome”. results have been obtained in studies in live animals and in cultured Unfortunately, there is very little information available that isolates mammalian cells and bacteria, which were carried out with pure isomers xylenes from other solvent exposures in the examination of these long- of xylene and with mixed isomers containing up to 36% term neurological effects. Other study deficiencies include inadequate ethylbenzene. (1) reporting on the duration of exposure and the exposure levels, and poor Asphalt: No information available. matching of controls. (1) TOXICOLOGICALLY SYNERGISTIC MATERIALS Asphalt: No information available. Xylene: There have been several studies in humans and animals on the BLOOD EFFECTS interaction of xylenes with drugs, alcohol and other solvents. Xylene has Xylene: Historical reports sometimes associate xylene exposure with a high potential to interact with other compounds because it increases certain blood effects, including leukemia, which are now known to be metabolic enzymes in the liver and decreases metabolic enzymes in the caused by benzene. Xylene that does not contain benzene as a lungs. In general, exposure to related solvents, such as benzene, toluene contaminant is not known to cause these effects. (1) and ethanol (alcohol) slows the rate of clearance of xylenes from the body, thus enhancing its toxic effects. In rats, exposure to xylene (mixed Asphalt: No information available. isomers; unspecified composition) in combination with the solvents LIVER AND KIDNEY EFFECTS trichloroethylene or chlorobenzene has had an additive effect in causing Xylene: A number of case reports and occupational studies have hearing loss, while exposure to xylene (mixed isomers) enhanced the suggested that liver and kidney damage may result from long-term hearing loss caused by n-hexane and decreased the toxicity of n-hexane occupational exposure to xylene. However, it is not possible to attribute on peripheral nerves. (1) these effects directly to xylene exposure because generally there was exposure to other chemicals at the same time, particularly other solvents, Asphalt: No information available. and there was no information provided on the exposure levels or duration POTENTIAL FOR ACCUMULATION of exposure. (1) Xylene: The three xylene isomers are readily absorbed by inhalation and ingestion and are widely distributed throughout the body. A small amount Asphalt: No information available. may be absorbed through the skin. Xylenes are largely broken down by HEARING the liver and most of the absorbed material is rapidly excreted in the urine Xylene: There is evidence that long-term exposure to solvent mixtures as breakdown product. Smaller amounts are eliminated unchanged in the including xylenes may cause hearing loss. The simultaneous exposure to exhaled air. There is low potential for accumulation. (1) noise and solvents appears to enhance this effect. However, the limited Asphalt: No information available. information available does not allow a conclusion to be drawn specifically for xylene (mixed isomers). (1)