Right to Know

Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet

Common Name: DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE

Synonyms: DMF; Formyldimethylamine CAS Number: 68-12-2 Chemical Name: Formamide, N,N-Dimethyl- RTK Substance Number: 0759 Date: May 2003 Revision: January 2011 DOT Number: UN 2265

Description and Use EMERGENCY RESPONDERS >>>> SEE LAST PAGE Dimethylformamide is a colorless to pale yellow liquid with a Hazard Summary fishy or Ammonia-like odor. It is used as a solvent, mainly for Hazard Rating NJDOH NFPA resins and polymers, and is used in making coatings, films, HEALTH - 2 adhesives and printing inks. FLAMMABILITY - 2 REACTIVITY - 0 f ODOR THRESHOLD = 0.47 ppm to 100 ppm COMBUSTIBLE f Odor thresholds vary greatly. Do not rely on odor alone to POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE determine potentially hazardous exposures.

Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; Reasons for Citation 4=severe f Dimethylformamide is on the Right to Know Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by OSHA, ACGIH, DOT, f Dimethylformamide can affect you when inhaled and by NIOSH, DEP, IARC, NFPA and EPA. passing through the skin. f Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. f Inhaling Dimethylformamide can irritate the nose and throat

causing coughing and wheezing.

f Exposure to Dimethylformamide can cause headache,

dizziness, nausea and vomiting.

f Dimethylformamide may affect the nervous system.

f Long-term exposure may damage the liver and kidneys.

SEE GLOSSARY ON PAGE 5.

FIRST AID Workplace Exposure Limits Eye Contact OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is f Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 15 10 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift. minutes, lifting upper and lower lids. Remove contact lenses, if worn, while rinsing. NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit (REL) is 10 ppm averaged over a 10-hour workshift. Skin Contact f Quickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately wash ACGIH: The threshold limit value (TLV) is 10 ppm averaged contaminated skin with large amounts of soap and water. over an 8-hour workshift.

Inhalation f The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When skin f Remove the person from exposure. contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even though f Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. air levels are less than the limits listed above. f Transfer promptly to a medical facility.

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

DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE Page 2 of 6

Determining Your Exposure Other Effects f Dimethylformamide may affect the nervous system. f Read the product manufacturer’s Material Safety Data f Long-term exposure may damage the liver and kidneys. Sheet (MSDS) and the label to determine product ingredients and important safety and health information about the product mixture. Medical f For each individual hazardous ingredient, read the New Medical Testing Jersey Department of Health Hazardous Substance Fact For frequent or potentially high exposure (half the PEL or Sheet, available on the RTK website greater), the following are recommended before beginning (www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb) or in your facility’s RTK work and at regular times after that: Central File or Hazard Communication Standard file. f Liver function tests f You have a right to this information under the New Jersey

Worker and Community Right to Know Act and the Public If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Act following are recommended: if you are a public worker in New Jersey, and under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) if you f Kidney function tests are a private worker. f Urine N-Methylformamide level (should not be above 40 mg/gm creatinine) f The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers to label chemicals in the workplace and Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and requires public employers to provide their employees with present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for information concerning chemical hazards and controls. damage already done are not a substitute for controlling The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 exposure.

CFR 1910.1200) and the PEOSH Hazard Communication Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right Standard (N.J.A.C. 12:100-7) require employers to provide to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee similar information and training to their employees. Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020).

This Fact Sheet is a summary of available information Mixed Exposures regarding the health hazards that may result from exposure. f More than light alcohol consumption can cause liver Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other damage. Drinking alcohol can increase the liver damage factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential caused by Dimethylformamide. effects described below.

Health Hazard Information

Acute Health Effects

The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Dimethylformamide:

f Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. f Inhaling Dimethylformamide can irritate the nose and throat

causing coughing and wheezing. f Exposure to Dimethylformamide can cause headache,

dizziness, nausea and vomiting.

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

Cancer Hazard f While Dimethylformamide has been tested, it is not classifiable as to its potential to cause cancer.

Reproductive Hazard f Dimethylformamide may damage the developing fetus. f There is limited evidence that Dimethylformamide causes spontaneous abortions and miscarriages in exposed women.

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Workplace Controls and Practices Respiratory Protection Very toxic chemicals, or those that are reproductive hazards or Improper use of respirators is dangerous. Respirators sensitizers, require expert advice on control measures if a less should only be used if the employer has implemented a written toxic chemical cannot be substituted. Control measures program that takes into account workplace conditions, include: (1) enclosing chemical processes for severely requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing, and irritating and corrosive chemicals, (2) using local exhaust medical exams, as described in the OSHA Respiratory ventilation for chemicals that may be harmful with a single exposure, and (3) using general ventilation to control Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134). exposures to skin and eye irritants. For further information on workplace controls, consult the NIOSH document on Control f Where the potential exists for exposure over 10 ppm, use a Banding at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/. NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure The following work practices are also recommended: mode. For increased protection use in combination with an auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus or an emergency escape air cylinder. f Label process containers. f Exposure to 500 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and f Provide employees with hazard information and training. health. If the possibility of exposure above 500 ppm exists, f Monitor airborne chemical concentrations. use a NIOSH approved self-contained breathing apparatus f Use engineering controls if concentrations exceed recommended exposure levels. with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode equipped with an emergency escape f Provide eye wash fountains and emergency showers. air cylinder. f Wash or shower if skin comes in contact with a hazardous material. f Always wash at the end of the workshift. f Change into clean clothing if clothing becomes Fire Hazards contaminated. If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained f Do not take contaminated clothing home. and equipped as stated in the OSHA Fire Brigades Standard f Get special training to wash contaminated clothing. (29 CFR 1910.156). f Do not eat, smoke, or drink in areas where chemicals are being handled, processed or stored. f Dimethylformamide is a COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID. f Wash hands carefully before eating, smoking, drinking, f Use dry chemical, CO , water spray or alcohol-resistant applying cosmetics or using the toilet. 2 foam as extinguishing agents. f POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, including Nitrogen. Personal Protective Equipment f Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers cool.

The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR

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.

The following recommendations are only guidelines and may not apply to every situation.

Gloves and Clothing f Avoid skin contact with Dimethylformamide. Wear personal protective equipment made from material which can not be permeated or degraded by this substance. Safety equipment suppliers and manufacturers can provide recommendations on the most protective glove and clothing material for your operation. f The recommended glove material for Dimethylformamide is Barrier®. f The recommended protective clothing materials for Dimethylformamide are Tychem® BR, CSM and TK, or the equivalent. f All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) should be clean, available each day, and put on before work.

Eye Protection f Wear indirect-vent, impact and splash resistant goggles

when working with liquids. f If additional protection is needed for the entire face, use in combination with a face shield. A face shield should not be used without another type of eye protection. DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE Page 4 of 6

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 Dimethylformamide is spilled or leaked, take the following presentations, and industrial hygiene and medical steps: investigations and evaluations. f Evacuate personnel and secure and control entrance to the area. For more information, please contact: f Eliminate all ignition sources. f Absorb liquids in dry sand, earth, or a similar material and place into sealed containers for disposal. New Jersey Department of Health f Ventilate area of spill or leak. Right to Know f It may be necessary to contain and dispose of PO Box 368 Dimethylformamide as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact Trenton, NJ 08625-0368 your state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or Phone: 609-984-2202 your regional office of the federal Environmental Protection Fax: 609-984-7407 Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations. E-mail: [email protected]

Web address: http://www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb

Handling and Storage The Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets

Prior to working with Dimethylformamide you should be are not intended to be copied and sold trained on its proper handling and storage. for commercial purposes.

f Dimethylformamide reacts violently with OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES,

CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); ALKALI METALS

(such as LITHIUM, SODIUM and POTASSIUM); and

CARBON TETRACHLORIDE and other CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS in the presence of IRON. f Dimethylformamide is not compatible with ALKYL ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS (such as TRIETHYLALUMINUM) and inorganic NITRATES. f Dimethylformamide attacks some plastics and rubber. f Store under dry Nitrogen, in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from MOIST AIR as Dimethylformamide easily absorbs water from humid air. f Sources of ignition, such as smoking and open flames, are prohibited where Dimethylformamide is used, handled, or stored in a manner that could create a potential fire or explosion hazard.

DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE Page 5 of 6

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 mutagen 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 carcinogen 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: DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE Synonyms: DMF; Formyldimethylamine; N,N-Dimethylformamide CAS No: 68-12-2 Molecular Formula: C3H7NO RTK Substance No: 0759 Description: Colorless to pale yellow liquid with a fishy or Ammonia-like odor

HAZARD DATA Hazard Rating Firefighting Reactivity 2 - Health COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID Dimethylformamide reacts violently with OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, Use dry chemical, CO2, water spray or alcohol- 2 - Fire resistant foam as extinguishing agents. PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); ALKALI 0 - Reactivity POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, METALS (such as LITHIUM, SODIUM and including Nitrogen. DOT#: UN 2265 POTASSIUM); and CARBON TETRACHLORIDE and Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers other CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS in the ERG Guide #: 129 cool. presence of IRON. Hazard Class: 3 Dimethylformamide is not compatible with ALKYL (Flammable) ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS (such as TRIETHYLALUMINUM) and inorganic NITRATES.

SPILL/LEAKS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Isolation Distance: Odor Threshold: 0.47 ppm to 100 ppm Flash Point: 136oF (58oC) Spill: 50 meters (150 feet) LEL: 2.2% Fire: 800 meters (1/2 mile) UEL: 15.2% o o Absorb liquids in dry sand, earth, or a similar material Auto Ignition Temp: 883 F (473 C) and place into sealed containers for disposal. Vapor Density: 2.5 (air = 1) o o Vapor Pressure: 4 mm Hg at 77 F (25 C) Specific Gravity: 0.95 (water = 1) Water Solubility: Soluble Boiling Point: 307oF (153oC) o o Freezing Point: -78 F (-61 C) Critical Temp: 653oF (345oC) Ionization Potential: 9.12 eV Molecular Weight: 73.09

EXPOSURE LIMITS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

OSHA: 10 ppm, 8-hr TWA Gloves: Barrier® (>8-hr breakthrough) NIOSH: 10 ppm, 10-hr TWA ACGIH: 10 ppm, 8-hr TWA Coveralls: Tychem® BR, CSM and TK (>8-hr breakthrough) IDLH: 500 ppm Respirator: SCBA The Protective Action Criteria values are: PAC-1 = 2 ppm PAC-2 = 91 ppm PAC-3 = 530 ppm

HEALTH EFFECTS FIRST AID AND DECONTAMINATION Eyes: Irritation Remove the person from exposure. Flush eyes with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes. Remove Skin: Irritation contact lenses if worn. Inhalation: Nose and throat irritation with coughing

and wheezing Quickly remove contaminated clothing and wash contaminated skin with large amounts of soap and water. Headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting Begin artificial respiration if breathing has stopped and CPR if necessary. Transfer promptly to a medical facility. January 2011