Common Name: Acetaldehyde
CAS Number: 75-07-0
DOT Number: UN 1089
Date: February, 1989
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HAZARD SUMMARY
* Acetaldehyde can affect you when breathed in.
* Because this is a MUTAGEN, handle it as a possible
cancer-causing substance// WITH EXTREME CAUTION.
* Exposure can cause you to become dizzy, lightheaded, and to
pass out. It can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
Higher exposures can cause fluid in the lungs (pulmonary
edema).
* Contact can severely burn the eyes. Repeated contact can cause
rash and/or skin allergy.
* Acetaldehyde is a HIGHLY FLAMMABLE and REACTIVE chemical and
is a DANGEROUS FIRE and EXPLOSION HAZARD.
IDENTIFICATION
Acetaldehyde is a colorless liquid or gas with a strong fruity
odor. It is used to manufacture many other chemicals.
REASON FOR CITATION
* Acetaldehyde is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is
regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, DEP, DOT, NFPA and EPA.
* This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance List
because it is a MUTAGEN, FLAMMABLE and REACTIVE.
HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED
* Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely
evaluated. This may include collecting air samples. Under OSHA
1910.20, you have a legal right to obtain copies of sampling
results from your employer. If you think you are experiencing
any work-related health problems, see a doctor trained to
recognize occupational diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with
you.
-----------------------------------------
* The odor threshold only serves as a warning of exposure. Not
smelling it does not mean you are not being exposed.
WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS
OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is
100 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift and 150 ppm,
not to be exceeded during any (15 minute) work period.
(Final Rule January 1989).
ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 100 ppm, which
should not be exceeded at any time.
* Acetaldehyde is a MUTAGEN and may be a TERATOGEN. Mutagens may
have a cancer risk. All contact with this chemical should be
reduced to the lowest possible level.
WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE
* Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust
ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust
ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be
worn.
* Wear protective work clothing.
* Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Acetaldehyde and
at the end of the workshift.
* Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In
addition, as part of an ongoing education and training
effort, communicate all information on the health and
safety hazards of Acetaldehyde to potentially exposed
workers.
This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all potential
and most severe health hazards that may result from exposure.
Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other
factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential
effects described below.
------------------------------------------
HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION
Acute Health Effects
The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur
immediately or shortly after exposure to Acetaldehyde:
* Acetaldehyde can irritate the skin causing a rash or
burning feeling on contact.
* Acetaldehyde can cause severe eye burns leading to
permanent damage.
* Breathing Acetaldehyde can irritate the lungs causing
coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can
cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath.
* Inhaling a high concentration of the vapor may cause you
to feel sleepy or dizzy, to pass out, or even die.
Chronic Health Effects
The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some
time after exposure to Acetaldehyde and can last for months or
years:
Cancer Hazard
* Acetaldehyde causes MUTATIONS (genetic changes). Such
chemicals may have a cancer or reproductive risk and
there is limited evidence that Acetaldehyde causes cancer
in animals.
* Many scientists believe there is no safe level of
exposure to a carcinogen. Such substances may also have
the potential for causing reproductive damage in humans.
Reproductive Hazard
* Acetaldehyde may be a teratogen in humans since it has
been shown to be a teratogen in animals.
Other Long-Term Effects
* Acetaldehyde may cause a skin allergy. If allergy
develops, very low future exposures can cause itching and
a skin rash.
* Very irritating substances may affect the lungs. It is
not known whether Acetaldehyde causes lung damage.
* Repeated exposure may cause chronic irritation of the
eyes and skin.
Medical Testing
Before beginning employment and at regular times after that, the
following are recommended:
* Lung function tests.
If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the following may
be useful:
* Evaluation by a qualified allergist, including careful
exposure history and special testing, may help diagnose skin
allergy.
* Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure.
Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and present
symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for damage already
done are not a substitute for controlling exposure. Request copies
of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information
under OSHA 1910.20.
WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES
Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous
substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most effective way of
reducing exposure. The best protection is to enclose operations
and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical
release. Isolating operations can also reduce exposure. Using
respirators or protective equipment is less effective than the
controls mentioned above, but is sometimes necessary.
In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1)
how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the substance is
released into the workplace and (3) whether harmful skin or eye
contact could occur. Special controls should be in place for highly
toxic chemicals or when significant skin, eye, or breathing
exposures are possible.
In addition, the following controls are recommended:
* Where possible, automatically pump liquid Acetaldehyde from
drums or other storage containers to process containers.
* Before entering a confined space where Acetaldehyde is
present, check to make sure sufficient oxygen (19%) exists.
Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The
following work practices are recommended:
* Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Acetaldehyde
should change into clean clothing promptly.
* Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals
who have been informed of the hazards of exposure to
Acetaldehyde.
* Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate work
area for emergency use.
* If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency shower
facilities should be provided.
* On skin contact with Acetaldehyde, immediately wash or shower
to remove the chemical. At the end of the workshift, wash any
areas of the body that may have contacted Acetaldehyde,
whether or not known skin contact has occurred.
* Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Acetaldehyde is handled,
processed, or stored, since the chemical can be swallowed.
Wash hands carefully before eating or smoking.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
WORKPLACE CONTROLS ARE BETTER THAN PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
However, for some jobs (such as outside work, confined space entry,
jobs done only once in a while, or jobs done while workplace
controls are being installed), personal protective equipment may be
appropriate.
The following recommendations are only guidelines and may not apply
to every situation.
Clothing
* Avoid skin contact with Acetaldehyde. Wear protective gloves
and clothing. Safety equipment suppliers/manufacturers can
provide recommendations on the most protective glove/clothing
material for your operation.
* All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear)
should be clean, available each day, and put on before work.
* ACGIH recommends Butyl Rubber as a good to excellent
protective material.
Eye Protection
* Wear splash-proof chemical goggles and face shield when
working with liquid, unless full facepiece respiratory
protection is worn.
* Wear gas-proof goggles, unless full facepiece respiratory
protection is worn.
Respiratory Protection
* IMPROPER USE OF RESPIRATORS IS DANGEROUS. Such equipment
should only be used if the employer has a written program that
takes into account workplace conditions, requirements for
worker training, respirator fit testing and medical exams, as
described in OSHA 1910.134.
* Where the potential exists for exposures over 100 ppm, use a
MSHA/NIOSH approved full facepiece respirator with an organic
vapor cartridge/canister. Increased protection is obtained
from full facepiece powered-air purifying respirators.
* If while wearing a filter, cartridge or canister respirator,
you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect Acetaldehyde, or in
the case of a full facepiece respirator you experience eye
irritation, leave the area immediately. Check to make sure the
respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, replace the
filter, cartridge, or canister. If the seal is no longer good,
you may need a new respirator.
* Be sure to consider all potential exposures in your workplace.
You may need a combination of filters, prefilters, cartridges,
or canisters to protect against different forms of a chemical
(such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals.
* Where the potential for high exposures exists, use a
MSHA/NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full
facepiece operated in the positive pressure mode or with a
full facepiece, hood, or helmet in the continuous flow mode,
or use a MSHA/NIOSH approved self-contained breathing
apparatus with a full facepiece operated in pressure demand or
other positive pressure mode.
* Exposure to 10,000 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and
health. If the possibility of exposures above 10,000 ppm
exists, use a MSHA/NIOSH approved self-contained breathing
apparatus with a full facepiece operated in continuous flow or
other positive pressure mode.
HANDLING AND STORAGE
* Prior to working with Acetaldehyde you should be trained on
its proper handling and storage.
* Acetaldehyde is not compatible with STRONG OXIDIZERS, ACIDS,
BASES, ALCOHOLS, AMMONIA, AMINES, PHENOLS, KETONES, HYDROGEN
CYANIDE, HYDROGEN SULFIDE, ACID ANHYDRIDES, and HALOGENS.
* Store in tightly closed airtight containers in a cool, dark,
well-ventilated area.
* Nitrogen or another inactive gas should be used as an "inert
blanket" over liquid Acetaldehyde in storage containers.
* Sources of ignition, such as smoking and open flames, are
prohibited where Acetaldehyde is handled, used, or stored.
* Metal containers involving the transfer of 5 gallons or more
of Acetaldehyde should be grounded and bonded. Drums must be
equipped with self-closing valves, pressure vacuum bungs, and
flame arresters.
* Use only non-sparking tools and equipment, especially when
opening and closing containers of Acetaldehyde.
Common Name: Acetaldehyde
DOT Number: UN 1089
DOT Emergency Guide code: 26
CAS Number: 75-07-0
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Hazard rating
FLAMMABILITY 4
REACTIVITY 2
--------------------------------
EXPLOSIVE GAS OR LIQUID
POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE
--------------------------------
Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious;
4=severe
FIRE HAZARDS
* Acetaldehyde is a FLAMMABLE and EXPLOSIVE LIQUID or GAS.
* Use dry chemical, CO2, or alcohol foam extinguishers.
* Use water spray to keep .
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