Ammonium Persulfate
Right to Know
Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet
Common Name: AMMONIUM PERSULFATE
Synonyms: Ammonium Peroxydisulfuric Acid; Diammonium Persulfate CAS Number: 7727-54-0 Chemical Name: Peroxydisulfuric Acid, Diammonium Salt RTK Substance Number: 0111 Date: June 2009 Revision: September 2016 DOT Number: UN 1444
Description and Use EMERGENCY RESPONDERS >>>> SEE LAST PAGE Ammonium Persulfate is a colorless, white or straw-colored, Hazard Summary crystalline (sand-like) powder with a mild, unpleasant odor. It Hazard Rating NJDHSS NFPA is used as a bleaching agent, food preservative, and HEALTH 2 - polymerization inhibitor. FLAMMABILITY 0 - REACTIVITY 1 - OXIDIZER POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE Reasons for Citation Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; Ammonium Persulfate is on the Right to Know Hazardous 4=severe Substance List because it is cited by ACGIH and DOT.
Ammonium Persulfate can affect you when inhaled. Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. Exposure can irritate the nose and throat. Inhaling Ammonium Persulfate can irritate the lungs. Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency. Ammonium Persulfate may cause a skin allergy. SEE GLOSSARY ON PAGE 5. Ammonium Persulfate is not combustible, but it is a STRONG OXIDIZER that enhances the combustion of other FIRST AID substances. Eye Contact Immediately flush with large amounts of water for at least 15 minutes, lifting upper and lower lids. Remove contact lenses, if worn, while rinsing. Workplace Exposure Limits ACGIH: The threshold limit value (TLV) is 0.1 mg/m3 (as Skin Contact Persulfate) averaged over an 8-hour workshift. Quickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately wash
contaminated skin with large amounts of water.
Inhalation Remove the person from exposure. Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. Transfer promptly to a medical facility. Medical observation is recommended for 24 to 48 hours after overexposure, as pulmonary edema may be delayed.
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
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Determining Your Exposure Reproductive Hazard According to the information presently available to the New Read the product manufacturer’s Material Safety Data Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Sheet (MSDS) and the label to determine product Ammonium Persulfate has not been tested for its ability to ingredients and important safety and health information affect reproduction. about the product mixture. Other Effects For each individual hazardous ingredient, read the New Ammonium Persulfate can irritate the lungs. Repeated Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services exposure may cause bronchitis to develop with coughing, Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet, available on the RTK phlegm, and/or shortness of breath. Program website Ammonium Persulfate may cause a skin allergy. If allergy (http://www.state.nj.us/health/workplacehealthandsafety/ri develops, very low future exposure can cause itching and a ght-to-know/) or in your facility’s RTK Central File or skin rash. Hazard Communication Standard file.
You have a right to this information under the New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know Act, the Public Medical Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Act Medical Testing if you are a public worker in New Jersey, and under the If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) if you following are recommended:
are a private worker. Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most Evaluation by a qualified allergist can help diagnose skin employers to label chemicals in the workplace and allergy. requires public employers to provide their employees with information concerning chemical hazards and controls. Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 damage already done are not a substitute for controlling CFR 1910.1200) and the PEOSH Hazard Communication exposure. Standard (N.J.A.C. 12:100-7) require employers to provide similar information and training to their employees. Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee This Fact Sheet is a summary of available information Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020). regarding the health hazards that may result from exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other Mixed Exposures factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential Smoking can cause heart disease, lung cancer, effects described below. emphysema, and other respiratory problems. It may worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce Health Hazard Information your risk of developing health problems.
Acute Health Effects
The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Ammonium
Persulfate:
Contact can irritate the skin and eyes.
Exposure can irritate the nose and throat.
Inhaling Ammonium Persulfate can irritate the lungs
causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher
exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs
(pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe
shortness of breath.
Chronic Health Effects The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Ammonium Persulfate and can last for months or years:
Cancer Hazard According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Ammonium Persulfate 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 Wear eye protection with side shields or goggles. sensitizers, require expert advice on control measures if a less If additional protection is needed for the entire face, use in toxic chemical cannot be substituted. Control measures combination with a face shield. A face shield should not be include: (1) enclosing chemical processes for severely used without another type of eye protection. irritating and corrosive chemicals, (2) using local exhaust ventilation for chemicals that may be harmful with a single Respiratory Protection exposure, and (3) using general ventilation to control Improper use of respirators is dangerous. Respirators exposures to skin and eye irritants. For further information on should only be used if the employer has implemented a written workplace controls, consult the NIOSH document on Control program that takes into account workplace conditions, Banding at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/. requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing, and
The following work practices are also recommended: medical exams, as described in the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134). Label process containers. Provide employees with hazard information and training. Where the potential exists for exposure over 0.1 mg/m3 (as Monitor airborne chemical concentrations. Persulfate), use a NIOSH approved negative pressure, air- Use engineering controls if concentrations exceed purifying, particulate filter respirator with an N, R or P95 recommended exposure levels. filter. More protection is provided by a full facepiece Provide eye wash fountains and emergency showers. respirator than by a half-mask respirator, and even greater Wash or shower if skin comes in contact with a hazardous protection is provided by a powered-air purifying respirator. material. Leave the area immediately if (1) while wearing a filter or Always wash at the end of the workshift. cartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect Change into clean clothing if clothing becomes Ammonium Persulfate, (2) while wearing particulate filters contaminated. abnormal resistance to breathing is experienced, or (3) eye Do not take contaminated clothing home. irritation occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator. Get special training to wash contaminated clothing. Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. Do not eat, smoke, or drink in areas where chemicals are If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longer being handled, processed or stored. good, you may need a new respirator. Wash hands carefully before eating, smoking, drinking, Consider all potential sources of exposure in your workplace. applying cosmetics or using the toilet. You may need a combination of filters, prefilters or cartridges to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as In addition, the following may be useful or required: vapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals. 3 Where the potential exists for exposure over 1 mg/m (as Use a vacuum to reduce dust during clean-up. DO NOT Persulfate), use a NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator DRY SWEEP. with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode. For increased protection use in
combination with an auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus or an emergency escape air cylinder. Personal Protective Equipment The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR 1910.132) requires employers to determine the appropriate Fire Hazards personal protective equipment for each hazard and to train If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained employees on how and when to use protective equipment. and equipped as stated in the OSHA Fire Brigades Standard (29 CFR 1910.156).
The following recommendations are only guidelines and may Ammonium Persulfate is not combustible, but it is a not apply to every situation. STRONG OXIDIZER that enhances the combustion of other substances. Gloves and Clothing Use water only. DO NOT USE CO2 as an extinguishing Avoid skin contact with Ammonium Persulfate. Wear agent. personal protective equipment made from material which POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, including can not be permeated or degraded by this substance. Sulfur Oxides, Nitrogen Oxides, and Ammonia. Safety equipment suppliers and manufacturers can provide CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE. recommendations on the most protective glove and clothing Use water spray to keep fire-exposed containers cool. material for your operation. Ammonium Persulfate may ignite combustibles (wood, Safety equipment manufacturers recommend Neoprene and paper and oil). Natural Rubber for gloves, and Tyvek®, or the equivalent, as protective clothing material. All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) should be clean, available each day, and put on before work.
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Spills and Emergencies Occupational Health Information If employees are required to clean-up spills, they must be properly trained and equipped. The OSHA Hazardous Waste Resources Operations and Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, 1910.120) may apply. Occupational Health Service, offers multiple services in occupational health. These services include providing If Ammonium Persulfate is spilled, take the following steps: informational resources, educational materials, public presentations, and industrial hygiene and medical Evacuate personnel and secure and control entrance to the investigations and evaluations. area. Eliminate all ignition sources. Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe For more information, please contact: manner and place into sealed containers for disposal. Ventilate and wash area after clean-up is complete. DO NOT wash into sewer. New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Ammonium Right to Know Program Persulfate as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your state PO Box 368 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or your Trenton, NJ 08625-0368 regional office of the federal Environmental Protection Phone: 609-984-2202 Agency (EPA) for specific recommendations. Fax: 609-984-7407
E-mail: [email protected]
Web address: Handling and Storage http://www.state.nj.us/health/workplacehealthandsafety/ Prior to working with Ammonium Persulfate you should be right-to-know/ trained on its proper handling and storage.
AIR, LIGHT, WATER, MOISTURE, CONTAMINATION, and The Right to Know Hazardous Substance Fact Sheets HEAT will cause Ammonium Persulfate to decompose and are not intended to be copied and sold become unstable. for commercial purposes. Ammonium Persulfate reacts violently in solution with IRON; POWDERED ALUMINUM; and SILVER SALTS. Ammonium Persulfate will react with COMBUSTIBLE and ORGANIC MATERIALS (PAPER, GAS and FUELS) to cause fires. Ammonium Persulfate is not compatible with OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); STRONG ACIDS (such as HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); STRONG BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE); REDUCING AGENTS (such as LITHIUM, SODIUM, ALUMINUM and their HYDRIDES); and HEAVY and POWDERED METALS (such as COPPER, NICKEL and ZINC). Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from WATER, MOISTURE, LIGHT and HEAT.
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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 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: AMMONIUM PERSULFATE Synonyms: Ammonium Peroxydisulfuric Acid; Diammonium Persulfate CAS No: 7727-54-0 Molecular Formula: N2H8S2O8 RTK Substance No: 0111 Description: Colorless, white or straw-colored, crystalline powder with a mild, unpleasant odor
HAZARD DATA Hazard Rating Firefighting Reactivity AIR, LIGHT, WATER, MOISTURE, CONTAMINATION, and HEAT 2 - Health Ammonium Persulfate is not combustible, but it is a STRONG will cause Ammonium Persulfate to decompose and become 0 - Fire OXIDIZER that enhances the combustion unstable. of other substances. Ammonium Persulfate reacts violently in solution with IRON; 1 - Reactivity POWDERED ALUMINUM; and SILVER SALTS. Use water only. DO NOT USE CO2 as an Ammonium Persulfate will react with COMBUSTIBLE and DOT#: UN 1444 extinguishing agent. ORGANIC MATERIALS (PAPER, GAS and FUELS) to cause ERG Guide #: 140 POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED fires. IN FIRE, including Sulfur Oxides, Hazard Class: 5.1 Ammonium Persulfate is not compatible with OXIDIZING Nitrogen Oxides, and Ammonia. AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, (Oxidizer) CONTAINERS MAY EXPLODE IN FIRE. PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, Use water spray to keep fire-exposed BROMINE and FLUORINE); STRONG ACIDS (such as containers cool. HYDROCHLORIC, SULFURIC and NITRIC); STRONG BASES Ammonium Persulfate may ignite (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE); combustibles (wood, paper and oil). REDUCING AGENTS (such as LITHIUM, SODIUM, ALUMINUM and their HYDRIDES); and HEAVY and POWDERED METALS (such as COPPER, NICKEL and ZINC).
SPILL/LEAKS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Isolation Distance: Odor Threshold: Mild, unpleasant Spill: 25 meters (75 feet) Flash Point: Noncombustible Fire: 800 meters (1/2 mile) Specific Gravity: 1.98 (water = 1) Collect powdered material in the most convenient and Water Solubility: Soluble/Reactive safe manner and place into sealed containers for Boiling Point: Decomposes disposal. Melting Point: DO NOT wash into sewer. Decomposes Ammonium Persulfate is harmful to aquatic organisms. Molecular Weight: 228.18
EXPOSURE LIMITS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
ACGIH: 0.1 mg/m3 (as Persulfate) Gloves: Neoprene and Natural Rubber The Protective Action Criteria values are: Coveralls: DuPont Tyvek® PAC-1 = 0.3 mg/m3 Respirator: >0.1 mg/m3 - full facepiece APR with High efficiency filter PAC-2 = 22 mg/m3 >0.3 mg/m3 - SCBA PAC-3 = 130 mg/m3
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, throat and lung irritation with
coughing and severe shortness of breath Quickly remove contaminated clothing and wash contaminated skin with large amounts of water. (pulmonary edema) Begin artificial respiration if breathing has stopped and CPR if necessary. Transfer promptly to a medical facility. Medical observation is recommended as symptoms may be delayed. September 2016