Right to Know

Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet

Common Name: OXALIC

Synonyms: Oxalic Acid Dihydrate; Ethanedionic Acid CAS Number: 144-62-7 Chemical Name: Ethanedioic Acid RTK Substance Number: 1445 Date: February 2000 Revision: January 2010 DOT Number: UN 3261

Description and Use EMERGENCY RESPONDERS >>>> SEE LAST PAGE Oxalic Acid is a colorless to white, odorless powder or Hazard Summary crystalline (sand-like) solid. It is used as a rust remover, Hazard Rating NJDOH NFPA radiator cleaner and ink stain remover. HEALTH - 3 FLAMMABILITY - 1 REACTIVITY - 0 CORROSIVE COMBUSTIBLE Reasons for Citation POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE f Oxalic Acid is on the Right to Know Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by OSHA, ACGIH, DOT, NIOSH and Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; 4=severe NFPA. f This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance f Oxalic Acid can affect you when inhaled and by passing List. through the skin. f Oxalic Acid is CORROSIVE and contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage. f Inhaling Oxalic Acid can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. f Exposure to Oxalic Acid can cause headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, convulsions, coma and even death. SEE GLOSSARY ON PAGE 5. f Prolonged or repeated contact can cause a skin rash, pain, redness, blisters, and slow healing ulcers. FIRST AID f Oxalic Acid may damage the kidneys. f Exposure may affect the nervous system. Eye Contact f Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 30 minutes, lifting upper and lower lids. Remove contact lenses, if worn, while flushing. Seek medical attention Workplace Exposure Limits immediately. OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 1 mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour workshift. Skin Contact f Quickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately wash NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit (REL) is 3 contaminated skin with large amounts of soap and water. 1 mg/m averaged over a 10-hour workshift and 3 Seek medical attention. 2 mg/m , not to be exceeded during any 15-minute work period. Inhalation ACGIH: The threshold limit value (TLV) is 1 mg/m3 averaged f Remove the person from exposure. over an 8-hour workshift and 2 mg/m3 as a STEL f Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if (short-term exposure limit). breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. f Transfer promptly to a medical facility. f The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even though EMERGENCY NUMBERS air levels are less than the limits listed above.

Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222 CHEMTREC: 1-800-424-9300 NJDEP Hotline: 1-877-927-6337 National Response Center: 1-800-424-8802

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Determining Your Exposure Reproductive Hazard f There is limited evidence that Oxalic Acid may damage the f Read the product manufacturer’s Material Safety Data developing fetus and the male reproductive system Sheet (MSDS) and the label to determine product (including decreasing the sperm count) in animals. ingredients and important safety and health information about the product mixture. Other Effects f f For each individual hazardous ingredient, read the New Prolonged or repeated contact can cause a skin rash, pain, redness, blisters, and slow healing ulcers. Jersey Department of Health Hazardous Substance Fact f Oxalic Acid may damage the kidneys. Sheet, available on the RTK website f Exposure may affect the nervous system. (www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb) or in your facility’s RTK Central File or Hazard Communication Standard file. f You have a right to this information under the New Jersey Medical Worker and Community Right to Know Act and the Public Medical Testing Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Act For frequent or potentially high exposure (half the PEL or if you are a public worker in New Jersey, and under the greater), the following are recommended before beginning federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) if you work and at regular times after that: are a private worker. f Kidney function tests f The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most

employers to label chemicals in the workplace and If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the requires public employers to provide their employees with following is recommended: information concerning chemical hazards and controls. The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 f Exam of the nervous system CFR 1910.1200) and the PEOSH Hazard Communication Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and Standard (N.J.A.C. 12:100-7) require employers to provide present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for similar information and training to their employees. damage already done are not a substitute for controlling exposure. This Fact Sheet is a summary of available information regarding the health hazards that may result from exposure. Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020). effects described below.

Health Hazard Information Acute Health Effects The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Oxalic Acid:

f Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with

possible eye damage. f Inhaling Oxalic Acid can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. f Exposure to Oxalic Acid can cause headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, stomach pain, convulsions, coma and

even death

Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Oxalic Acid and can last for months or years:

Cancer Hazard f According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health, Oxalic Acid has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer in animals.

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Workplace Controls and Practices Eye Protection Very toxic chemicals, or those that are reproductive hazards or f For solid Oxalic Acid, wear eye protection with side shields sensitizers, require expert advice on control measures if a less or goggles. toxic chemical cannot be substituted. Control measures f Wear indirect-vent, impact and splash resistant goggles include: (1) enclosing chemical processes for severely when working with liquids. irritating and corrosive chemicals, (2) using local exhaust f Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with ventilation for chemicals that may be harmful with a single corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances. exposure, and (3) using general ventilation to control f Do not wear contact lenses when working with this exposures to skin and eye irritants. For further information on substance. workplace controls, consult the NIOSH document on Control Banding at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/. Respiratory Protection Improper use of respirators is dangerous. Respirators The following work practices are also recommended: should only be used if the employer has implemented a written program that takes into account workplace conditions, f Label process containers. requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing, and f Provide employees with hazard information and training. medical exams, as described in the OSHA Respiratory f Monitor airborne chemical concentrations. f Use engineering controls if concentrations exceed Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134). recommended exposure levels. 3 f Provide eye wash fountains and emergency showers. f Where the potential exists for exposure over 1 mg/m , use a f Wash or shower if skin comes in contact with a hazardous NIOSH approved full facepiece, negative pressure, air- material. purifying, particulate filter respirator with an N, R or P100 f Always wash at the end of the workshift. filter. More protection is provided by a full facepiece f Change into clean clothing if clothing becomes respirator than by a half-mask respirator, and even greater contaminated. protection is provided by a powered-air purifying respirator. f Do not take contaminated clothing home. f Leave the area immediately if (1) while wearing a filter or f Get special training to wash contaminated clothing. cartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect f Do not eat, smoke, or drink in areas where chemicals are Oxalic Acid, (2) while wearing particulate filters abnormal being handled, processed or stored. resistance to breathing is experienced, or (3) eye irritation f Wash hands carefully before eating, smoking, drinking, occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator. Check to applying cosmetics or using the toilet. make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longer good, In addition, the following may be useful or required: you may need a new respirator. f Consider all potential sources of exposure in your workplace. f Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- You may need a combination of filters, prefilters or cartridges up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals. 3 f Where the potential exists for exposure over 50 mg/m , use a NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full Personal Protective Equipment facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- pressure mode. For increased protection use in combination The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR with an auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus or an 1910.132) requires employers to determine the appropriate emergency escape air cylinder. 3 personal protective equipment for each hazard and to train f Exposure to 500 mg/m is immediately dangerous to life and 3 employees on how and when to use protective equipment. health. If the possibility of exposure above 500 mg/m exists, use a NIOSH approved self-contained breathing

apparatus with a full facepiece operated in a pressure- The following recommendations are only guidelines and may demand or other positive-pressure mode equipped with an not apply to every situation. emergency escape air cylinder.

Gloves and Clothing f Avoid skin contact with Oxalic Acid. Wear personal protective equipment made from material which can not be Fire Hazards permeated or degraded by this substance. Safety If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained equipment suppliers and manufacturers can provide and equipped as stated in the OSHA Fire Brigades Standard recommendations on the most protective glove and clothing (29 CFR 1910.156). material for your operation. f Safety equipment manufacturers recommend Butyl, f Oxalic Acid is a COMBUSTIBLE SOLID. Neoprene, Silver Shield®/4H®, and Viton as glove materials f Use dry chemical, CO2, water spray or -resistant for Oxalic Acid in solution, and Tychem® BR, Responder®, foam as extinguishing agents. and TK as protective clothing materials for Oxalic Acid in f POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, including solution. . f All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) f Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers cool. should be clean, available each day, and put on before work. f Use water spray to prevent dust/air mixtures from igniting or exploding.

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Spills and Emergencies Occupational Health Information If employees are required to clean-up spills, they must be Resources properly trained and equipped. The OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR The New Jersey Department of Health offers multiple services 1910.120) may apply. in occupational health. These services include providing informational resources, educational materials, public If Oxalic Acid is spilled, take the following steps: presentations, and industrial hygiene and medical investigations and evaluations. f Evacuate personnel and secure and control entrance to the area. f Eliminate all ignition sources. For more information, please contact: f Moisten spilled material first or use a HEPA-filter vacuum for

clean-up and place into sealed containers for disposal. f Ventilate and wash area after clean-up is complete. New Jersey Department of Health f It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Oxalic Acid Right to Know as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your state Department PO Box 368 of Environmental Protection (DEP) or your regional office of Trenton, NJ 08625-0368 the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Phone: 609-984-2202 specific recommendations. Fax: 609-984-7407

E-mail: [email protected]

Web address: http://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb Handling and Storage Prior to working with Oxalic Acid you should be trained on its The Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets proper handling and storage. are not intended to be copied and sold

for commercial purposes. f Oxalic Acid reacts violently with OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, , CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); FURFURYL ALCOHOL; and CHLORITES to cause fires and explosions. f Oxalic Acid will react with SILVER and SILVER COMPOUNDS to form explosive Silver . f Oxalic Acid is not compatible with STRONG (such as HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); STRONG BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and ); ALKALI METALS (such as LITHIUM, SODIUM and POTASSIUM); and ACID CHLORIDES. f Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from MOISTURE and COMBUSTIBLES. f Sources of ignition, such as smoking and open flames, are prohibited where Oxalic Acid is used, handled, or stored in a manner that could create a potential fire or explosion hazard. f Oxalic Acid corrodes STEEL.

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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.

mg/m3 means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of air. Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs) are established It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume). by the EPA. They describe the risk to humans resulting from once-in-a lifetime, or rare, exposure to airborne chemicals. A is a substance that causes mutations. A mutation

is a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutations Boiling point is the temperature at which a substance can can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer. change its physical state from a liquid to a gas.

NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. It classifies A is a substance that causes cancer. substances according to their fire and explosion hazard.

The CAS number is unique, identifying number, assigned by NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and the Chemical Abstracts Service, to a specific chemical. Health. It tests equipment, evaluates and approves

respirators, conducts studies of workplace hazards, and CFR is the Code of Federal Regulations, which are the proposes standards to OSHA. regulations of the United States government.

NTP is the National Toxicology Program which tests chemicals A combustible substance is a solid, liquid or gas that will burn. and reviews evidence for cancer.

A corrosive substance is a gas, liquid or solid that causes OSHA is the federal Occupational Safety and Health destruction of human skin or severe corrosion of containers. Administration, which adopts and enforces health and safety

standards. The critical temperature is the temperature above which a gas cannot be liquefied, regardless of the pressure applied. PEOSHA is the New Jersey Public Employees Occupational

Safety and Health Act, which adopts and enforces health and DEP is the New Jersey Department of Environmental safety standards in public workplaces. Protection.

Permeated is the movement of chemicals through protective DOT is the Department of Transportation, the federal agency materials. that regulates the transportation of chemicals.

ppm means parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is a EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal measure of concentration by volume in air. agency responsible for regulating environmental hazards.

Protective Action Criteria (PAC) are values established by ERG is the Emergency Response Guidebook. It is a guide for the Department of Energy and are based on AEGLs and emergency responders for transportation emergencies ERPGs. They are used for emergency planning of chemical involving hazardous substances. release events.

Emergency Response Planning Guideline (ERPG) values A reactive substance is a solid, liquid or gas that releases provide estimates of concentration ranges where one energy under certain conditions. reasonably might anticipate observing adverse effects.

STEL is a Short Term Exposure Limit which is usually a 15- A fetus is an unborn human or animal. minute exposure that should not be exceeded at any time

during a work day. A flammable substance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that will ignite easily and burn rapidly. A teratogen is a substance that causes birth defects by

damaging the fetus. The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid or solid gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air. UEL or Upper Explosive Limit is the highest concentration in

air above which there is too much fuel (gas or vapor) to begin a IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a reaction or explosion. scientific group.

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

The vapor pressure is a force exerted by the vapor in IRIS is the Integrated Risk Information System database on equilibrium with the solid or liquid phase of the same human health effects that may result from exposure to various substance. The higher the vapor pressure the higher chemicals, maintained by federal EPA. concentration of the substance in air.

Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet

Common Name: OXALIC ACID Synonyms: Oxalic Acid Dihydrate; Ethanedionic Acid CAS No: 144-62-7 Molecular Formula: C2H2O4 RTK Substance No: 1445 Description: Colorless to white, odorless powder or crystalline solid

HAZARD DATA Hazard Rating Firefighting Reactivity 3 - Health Oxalic Acid is a COMBUSTIBLE SOLID. Oxalic Acid reacts violently with OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, Use dry chemical, CO2, water spray or alcohol- 1 - Fire resistant foam as extinguishing agents. PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); FURFURYL 0 - Reactivity POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN ALCOHOL; and CHLORITES to cause fires and explosions. FIRE, including Formic Acid. DOT#: UN 3261 Oxalic Acid will react with SILVER and SILVER Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers COMPOUNDS to form explosive . ERG Guide #: 154 cool. Oxalic Acid is not compatible with STRONG ACIDS (such Hazard Class: 8 Use water spray to prevent dust/air mixtures as HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); STRONG (Corrosive) from igniting or exploding. BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE); ALKALI METALS (such as LITHIUM, SODIUM and POTASSIUM); and ACID CHLORIDES.

SPILL/LEAKS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Isolation Distance: Threshold: Odorless Flash Point: Combustible Spill: 25 meters (75 feet) Vapor Density: 4.3 (air = 1) Fire: 800 meters (1/2 mile) Vapor Pressure: <0.001 mm Hg at 68oF (20oC) Moisten spilled material first or use a HEPA-filter Specific Gravity: 1.9 (water = 1) vacuum for clean-up and place into sealed containers for disposal. Water : Soluble Neutralize liquid spills with lime or soda ash. Boiling Point: Sublimes (goes from a solid directly to a gas) o o Oxalic Acid may be dangerous to aquatic life at high : 215 F (101.5 C) (Decomposes) concentrations. Molecular Weight: 90.04 pH: 1.3 (in solution)

EXPOSURE LIMITS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT 3 OSHA: 1 mg/m , 8-hr TWA Gloves: Butyl, Neoprene, Silver Shield®/4H® and Viton (>8-hr NIOSH: 1 mg/m3, 10-hr TWA; 2 mg/m3, STEL breakthrough for Oxalic Acid in solution) 3 3 ACGIH: 1 mg/m , 8-hr TWA; 2 mg/m , STEL Coveralls: Tychem® BR, Responder® and TK (>8-hr breakthrough IDLH: 500 mg/m3 for Oxalic Acid in solution) 3 The Protective Action Criteria values are: Respirator: >1 mg/m - full facepiece APR with High efficiency filters 3 PAC-1 = 2 mg/m3 PAC-2 = 40 mg/m3 PAC-3 = 500 mg/m3 >50 mg/m - Supplied air or SCBA

HEALTH EFFECTS FIRST AID AND DECONTAMINATION Eyes: Severe irritation and burns and possible Remove the person from exposure. eye damage Flush eyes with large amounts of water for at least 30 minutes. Remove

Skin: Severe irritation and burns contact lenses if worn. Seek medical attention immediately. Inhalation: Nose, throat and lung irritation with Quickly remove contaminated clothing and wash contaminated skin with coughing, wheezing and shortness of large amounts of soap and water. Seek medical attention. breath Begin artificial respiration if breathing has stopped and CPR if necessary. Headache, dizziness, convulsions, coma Transfer promptly to a medical facility. and even death January 2010