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Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet

Common Name: CADMIUM ACETATE

Synonyms: Bis(Acetoxy)Cadmium; Cadmium Diacetate CAS Number: 543-90-8 Chemical Name: Acetic Acid, Cadmium Salt RTK Substance Number: 0306 Date: January 2001 Revision: February 2008 DOT Number: UN 2570

Description and Use EMERGENCY RESPONDERS >>>> SEE BACK PAGE Cadmium Acetate is a white to colorless, crystalline (sand- Hazard Summary like) material with a slight vinegar odor. It is used in ceramics, Hazard Rating NJDOH NFPA textile dyeing, printing, electroplating, and to make other HEALTH 4 - Acetate compounds. FLAMMABILITY 0 - REACTIVITY 0 - CARCINOGEN POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE DOES NOT BURN Reasons for Citation Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; f Cadmium Acetate is on the Right to Know Hazardous 4=severe Substance List because it is cited by OSHA, ACGIH, DOT,

NIOSH, NTP, DEP, IARC, IRIS and EPA. f Cadmium Acetate can affect you when inhaled. f This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance f Cadmium Acetate is a CARCINOGEN. HANDLE WITH List. EXTREME CAUTION. f Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. f Inhaling Cadmium Acetate can irritate the nose and throat. f Exposure to Cadmium Acetate may cause a flu-like illness called metal fume fever. f Cadmium Acetate can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. SEE GLOSSARY ON PAGE 5. f Inhaling Cadmium Acetate can irritate the lungs. Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs FIRST AID (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency.

Eye Contact f Repeated low exposures can cause liver and kidney f Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 15 damage, anemia, and loss of sense of smell. minutes, lifting upper and lower lids. Remove contact lenses, if worn, while rinsing.

Skin Contact Workplace Exposure Limits f Remove contaminated clothing and wash contaminated skin The following exposure limits are for Cadmium: with water.

Inhalation OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 3 f Remove the person from exposure. 0.005 mg/m averaged over an 8-hour workshift. f Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. NIOSH: Recommends that exposure to occupational f Transfer promptly to a medical facility. f Medical observation is recommended for 24 to 48 hours after carcinogens be limited to the lowest feasible overexposure, as pulmonary edema may be delayed. concentration.

ACGIH: The threshold limit value (TLV) is 0.01 mg/m3 (as total EMERGENCY NUMBERS 3 particulate) and 0.002 mg/m (as the respirable Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 fraction), averaged over an 8-hour workshift. CHEMTREC: 1-800-424-9300

NJDEP Hotline: 1-877-927-6337 f Cadmium Acetate is a CARCINOGEN in humans. There National Response Center: 1-800-424-8802 may be no safe level of exposure to a carcinogen, so all contact should be reduced to the lowest possible level.

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Determining Your Exposure Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at f Read the product manufacturer’s Material Safety Data some time after exposure to Cadmium Acetate and can last Sheet (MSDS) and the label to determine product for months or years: ingredients and important safety and health information about the product mixture. Cancer Hazard f Cadmium Acetate is a CARCINOGEN in humans. There is f For each individual hazardous ingredient, read the New evidence that Cadmium and Cadmium compounds cause Jersey Department of Health Hazardous Substance Fact lung and prostate cancer in humans and cause lung cancer Sheet, available on the RTK website in animals. (www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb) or in your facility’s RTK f Many scientists believe there is no safe level of exposure to Central File or Hazard Communication Standard file. a carcinogen.

f You have a right to this information under the New Jersey Reproductive Hazard Worker and Community Right to Know Act, the Public f There is limited evidence that Cadmium Acetate may Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Act damage the developing fetus in animals. if you are a public worker in New Jersey, and under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) if you Other Effects are a private worker. f Cadmium Acetate can irritate the lungs. Repeated exposure may cause bronchitis to develop with coughing, f The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most phlegm, and/or shortness of breath. employers to label chemicals in the workplace and f Repeated low exposures can cause liver and kidney requires public employers to provide their employees with damage. information concerning chemical hazards and controls. f Exposure can cause anemia, loss of sense of smell The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 (anosmia), and/or discoloration of teeth. CFR 1910.1200) and the PEOSH Hazard Communication Standard (N.J.A.C. 12:100-7) require employers to provide similar information and training to their employees. Medical

Medical Testing This Fact Sheet is a summary of available information regarding the health hazards that may result from exposure. Before first exposure and every 12 months thereafter, OSHA requires your employer to provide (for persons exposed to Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other 3 factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential greater than or equal to 0.0025 mg/m of Cadmium) a work effects described below. and medical history and exam which shall include:

f Blood test for Cadmium (levels should be less than 5 micrograms per liter of whole blood) Health Hazard Information f Urine test for Cadmium (levels should be less than Acute Health Effects 3 micrograms per liter of urine) The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur f Urine test for Beta-2 microglobulin to detect kidney damage immediately or shortly after exposure to Cadmium Acetate: f Liver and kidney function tests f Lung function tests f Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. f Complete blood count f Inhaling Cadmium Acetate can irritate the nose and throat. f Exposure to Cadmium Acetate may cause “metal fume If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the fever.” This is a flu-like illness with symptoms of metallic following is recommended: taste in the mouth, headache, fever and chills, aches, chest tightness and cough. The symptoms may be delayed for f Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure several hours after exposure and usually last for a day or two. OSHA requires your employer to provide you and your doctor f Cadmium Acetate can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea with a copy of the OSHA Cadmium Standard (29 CFR and abdominal pain. 1910.1027 or 1926.1127). f Inhaling Cadmium Acetate can irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures may Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. 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 the OSHA Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020).

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Mixed Exposures The following recommendations are only guidelines and may f Smoking can cause heart disease, lung cancer, not apply to every situation. emphysema, and other respiratory problems. It may worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even if Gloves and Clothing you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce f Avoid skin contact with Cadmium Acetate. Wear personal your risk of developing health problems. protective equipment made from material which can not be f More than light alcohol consumption can cause liver permeated or degraded by this substance. Safety damage. Drinking alcohol can increase the liver damage equipment suppliers and manufacturers can provide caused by Cadmium Acetate. recommendations on the most protective glove and clothing f Cigarette smoke contains some Cadmium. Because it is material for your operation. hard for the body to eliminate Cadmium, it tends to build up f Safety equipment manufacturers recommend Nitrile and in the body. Any workplace exposure adds to these levels. Neoprene for gloves and DuPont Tyvek®, or the equivalent,

as a protective material for clothing.

f All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) Workplace Controls and Practices should be clean, available each day, and put on before work. Very toxic chemicals, or those that are reproductive hazards or sensitizers, require expert advice on control measures if a less Eye Protection toxic chemical cannot be substituted. Control measures f Wear eye protection with side shields or goggles. include: (1) enclosing chemical processes for severely f Do not wear contact lenses when working with this irritating and corrosive chemicals, (2) using local exhaust substance. ventilation for chemicals that may be harmful with a single exposure, and (3) using general ventilation to control Respiratory Protection exposures to skin and eye irritants. For further information on Improper use of respirators is dangerous. Respirators workplace controls, consult the NIOSH document on Control Banding at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/. should only be used if the employer has implemented a written program that takes into account workplace conditions, The following work practices are also recommended: requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing, and medical exams, as described in the OSHA Respiratory f Label process containers. Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134). f Provide employees with hazard information and training. f Monitor airborne chemical concentrations. f Where the potential exists for exposure less than or equal to f Use engineering controls if concentrations exceed 0.05 mg/m3 (as Cadmium), use a NIOSH approved air- recommended exposure levels. purifying, particulate filter respirator with an N100, R100 or f Provide eye wash fountains and emergency showers. P100 filter. f Wash or shower if skin comes in contact with a hazardous f Where the potential exists for exposure less than or equal to material. 0.25 mg/m3 (as Cadmium), use a NIOSH approved full f Always wash at the end of the workshift. facepiece air-purifying respirator with high efficiency filters. f Change into clean clothing if clothing becomes f Where the potential exists for exposure less than or equal to contaminated. 1.25 mg/m3 (as Cadmium), use a NIOSH approved f Do not take contaminated clothing home. powered-air purifying respirator equipped with a tight-fitting f Get special training to wash contaminated clothing. full facepiece and a high efficiency filter. f Do not eat, smoke, or drink in areas where chemicals are f Leave the area immediately if (1) while wearing a filter or being handled, processed or stored. cartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect f Wash hands carefully before eating, smoking, drinking, Cadmium Acetate, (2) while wearing particulate filters applying cosmetics or using the toilet. abnormal resistance to breathing is experienced, or (3) eye irritation occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator. In addition, the following may be useful or required: Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longer f Specific engineering controls are required for this chemical good, you may need a new respirator. by OSHA. Refer to the OSHA Cadmium Standard (29 CFR f Consider all potential sources of exposure in your workplace. 1910.1027 or 1926.1127). You may need a combination of filters, prefilters or cartridges f Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. vapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals. f Use a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter when 3 f Where the potential exists for exposure over 5 mg/m (as vacuuming. Do not use a standard shop vacuum. Cadmium), use a NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode. For increased protection use in Personal Protective Equipment combination with an auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR pressure mode. 1910.132) requires employers to determine the appropriate personal protective equipment for each hazard and to train employees on how and when to use protective equipment.

CADMIUM ACETATE Page 4 of 6 f Exposure to 9 mg/m3 (as Cadmium) is immediately f Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated dangerous to life and health. If the possibility of exposure area away from COMBUSTIBLES. above 9 mg/m3 exists, use a NIOSH approved self- f Cadmium Acetate is corrosive to IRON, ZINC, ALUMINUM contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece operated and MAGNESIUM. in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode equipped with an emergency escape air cylinder.

Occupational Health Information Fire Hazards Resources If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained The New Jersey Department of Health offers multiple services and equipped as stated in the OSHA Fire Brigades Standard in occupational health. These services include providing (29 CFR 1910.156). informational resources, educational materials, public

presentations, and industrial hygiene and medical f Extinguish fire using an agent suitable for type of surrounding fire. Cadmium Acetate itself does not burn. investigations and evaluations. f POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, including Cadmium Oxide. f Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers cool. For more information, please contact: f Cadmium Acetate may ignite combustibles (wood, paper and oil). New Jersey Department of Health Right to Know PO Box 368 Spills and Emergencies Trenton, NJ 08625-0368 If employees are required to clean-up spills, they must be Phone: 609-984-2202 properly trained and equipped. The OSHA Hazardous Waste Fax: 609-984-7407 Operations and Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR E-mail: [email protected] 1910.120) may apply. Web address: http://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb

If Cadmium Acetate is spilled, take the following steps: The Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets

are not intended to be copied and sold f Evacuate personnel and secure and control entrance to the area. for commercial purposes. f Eliminate all ignition sources. f Moisten spilled material first or use a HEPA-filter vacuum for clean-up. f Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe manner and deposit in sealed containers. f Ventilate and wash area after clean-up is complete. f DO NOT wash into sewer. f It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Cadmium Acetate as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or your regional office of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations.

Handling and Storage Prior to working with Cadmium Acetate you should be trained on its proper handling and storage. f A regulated, marked area should be established where Cadmium Acetate is handled, used or stored as required by the OSHA Cadmium Standard (29 CFR 1910.1027 or 1926.1127). f Cadmium Acetate is not compatible with SULFUR; OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); SELENIUM; TELLURIUM; STRONG ACIDS (such as HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); and POTASSIUM.

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GLOSSARY

ACGIH is the American Conference of Governmental Industrial LEL or Lower Explosive Limit, is the lowest concentration of Hygienists. They publish guidelines called Threshold Limit a combustible substance (gas or vapor) in the air capable of Values (TLVs) for exposure to workplace chemicals. continuing an explosion.

Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs) are established mg/m3 means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of air. by the EPA. They describe the risk to humans resulting from It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume). once-in-a lifetime, or rare, exposure to airborne chemicals. A mutagen is a substance that causes mutations. A mutation Boiling point is the temperature at which a substance can is a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutations change its physical state from a liquid to a gas. can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer.

A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer. NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. It classifies substances according to their fire and explosion hazard. The CAS number is unique, identifying number, assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service, to a specific chemical. NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It tests equipment, evaluates and approves CFR is the Code of Federal Regulations, which are the respirators, conducts studies of workplace hazards, and regulations of the United States government. proposes standards to OSHA.

A combustible substance is a solid, liquid or gas that will burn. NTP is the National Toxicology Program which tests chemicals and reviews evidence for cancer. A corrosive substance is a gas, liquid or solid that causes destruction of human skin or severe corrosion of containers. OSHA is the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which adopts and enforces health and safety DEP is the New Jersey Department of Environmental standards. Protection. PEOSHA is the New Jersey Public Employees Occupational DOT is the Department of Transportation, the federal agency Safety and Health Act, which adopts and enforces health and that regulates the transportation of chemicals. safety standards in public workplaces.

EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal Permeated is the movement of chemicals through protective agency responsible for regulating environmental hazards. materials.

ERG is the Emergency Response Guidebook. It is a guide for PIH is a DOT designation for chemicals which are Poison emergency responders for transportation emergencies Inhalation Hazards. involving hazardous substances. ppm means parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is a Emergency Response Planning Guideline (ERPG) values measure of concentration by volume in air. are intended to provide estimates of concentration ranges where one reasonably might anticipate observing adverse A reactive substance is a solid, liquid or gas that releases effects. energy under certain conditions.

A fetus is an unborn human or animal. STEL is a Short Term Exposure Limit which is usually a 15- minute exposure that should not be exceeded at any time A flammable substance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that will during a work day. ignite easily and burn rapidly. A teratogen is a substance that causes birth defects by The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid or solid damaging the fetus. gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air. UEL or Upper Explosive Limit is the highest concentration in IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a air above which there is too much fuel (gas or vapor) to begin a scientific group. reaction or explosion.

Ionization Potential is the amount of energy needed to Vapor Density is the ratio of the weight of a given volume of remove an electron from an atom or molecule. It is measured one gas to the weight of another (usually Hydrogen), at the in electron volts. same temperature and pressure.

IRIS is the Integrated Risk Information System database The vapor pressure is a measure of how readily a liquid or a maintained by federal EPA. The database contains solid mixes with air at its surface. A higher vapor pressure information on human health effects that may result from indicates a higher concentration of the substance in air and exposure to various chemicals in the environment. therefore increases the likelihood of breathing it in.

Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet

Common Name: CADMIUM ACETATE Synonyms: Bis(Acetoxy)Cadmium; Cadmium Diacetate CAS No: 543-90-8 Molecular Formula: C4H6CdO4 RTK Substance No: 0306 Description: White to colorless, crystalline material

HAZARD DATA Hazard Rating Firefighting Reactivity 4 - Health Extinguish fire using an agent suitable for type of Cadmium Acetate is not compatible with SULFUR; surrounding fire. Cadmium Acetate itself does OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, 0 - Fire not burn. PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, 0 - Reactivity POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and including Cadmium Oxide. FLUORINE); SELENIUM; TELLURIUM; or STRONG DOT#: UN 2570 Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers cool. ACIDS (such as HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); and POTASSIUM. ERG Guide #: 154 Cadmium Acetate may ignite combustibles (wood, paper and oil). Hazard Class: 6.1 (Poison) SPILL/LEAKS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Isolation Distance: Odor Threshold: Slightly vinegar odor

Small Spills: 25 meters (75 feet) Flash Point: Nonflammable Fire: 800 meters (1/2 mile) Specific Gravity: 2.34 (water =1) Moisten spilled material first or use a HEPA-filter vacuum for clean-up. Water Solubility: Soluble Collect powdered material in the most convenient Boiling Point: Decomposes and safe manner and deposit in sealed containers. DO NOT wash into sewer. Freezing Point: 493oF (256oC) Cadmium Acetate is a marine pollutant. Molecular Weight: 230.5 EXPOSURE LIMITS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT 3 OSHA: 0.005 mg/m , 8-hr TWA Gloves: Nitrile and Neoprene NIOSH: Lowest feasible concentration Coveralls: DuPont Tyvek® 3 ACGIH: 0.01 mg/m , 8-hr TWA (total particulate) >0.005 mg/m3 - APR with High efficiency filters 3 Respirator: 0.002 mg/m , 8-hr TWA (respirable fraction) >0.05 mg/m3 - Supplied air IDLH: 9 mg/m3 (All of the above are for Cadmium) HEALTH EFFECTS FIRST AID AND DECONTAMINATION Eyes: Irritation Remove the person from exposure. Skin: Flush eyes with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove Irritation contact lenses if worn. Inhalation: Nose, throat and lung irritation with Remove contaminated clothing and wash contaminated skin with water. coughing and shortness of breath Begin artificial respiration if breathing has stopped and CPR if

Nausea, vomiting, headache, fever and necessary. chills, aches, and chest tightness Transfer to a medical facility. Chronic: Cadmium and Cadmium compounds Medical observation is recommended as symptoms may be delayed. cause lung and prostate cancer in humans February 2008