Right to Know

Right to Know

Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet

Common Name: ZINC CHLORIDE

Synonyms: Butter of Zinc; Tinning Flux; Zinc Dichloride CAS Number: 7646-85-7

Chemical Name: Zinc Chloride (ZnCl2) RTK Substance Number: 2030 Date: December 2000 Revision: January 2010 DOT Number: UN 2331

Description and Use EMERGENCY RESPONDERS >>>> SEE LAST PAGE Zinc Chloride is an odorless, white, crystalline (sand-like) Hazard Summary granule or powder. It is used in soldering flux and iron Hazard Rating NJDOH NFPA galvanizing, as a screening smoke for crowd control and wood HEALTH 3 - preservative, and in making agricultural chemicals, FLAMMABILITY 0 - pharmaceuticals, and textiles. REACTIVITY 0 - CORROSIVE POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE Reasons for Citation f Zinc Chloride is on the Right to Know Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by OSHA, ACGIH, DOT, Hazard Rating Key: 0=minimal; 1=slight; 2=moderate; 3=serious; 4=severe NIOSH, IRIS and EPA. f This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance f Zinc Chloride can affect you when inhaled. List. f Zinc Chloride is a CORROSIVE CHEMICAL and contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage. f Exposure to Zinc Chloride can irritate the nose and throat. f Inhaling Zinc Chloride can irritate the lungs causing SEE GLOSSARY ON PAGE 5. coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a FIRST AID medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. f Zinc Chloride can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and Eye Contact abdominal pain. 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 immediately. Workplace Exposure Limits

Skin Contact The following exposure limits are for Zinc Chloride fume: f Quickly remove contaminated clothing. Immediately wash OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is contaminated skin with large amounts of soap and water. 3 Seek medical attention immediately. 1 mg/m averaged over an 8-hour workshift.

NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit (REL) is Inhalation 1 mg/m3 averaged over a 10-hour workshift and f Remove the person from exposure. 3 2 mg/m , not to be exceeded during any 15-minute f Begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions) if work period. breathing has stopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. f Transfer promptly to a medical facility. ACGIH: The threshold limit value (TLV) is 1 mg/m3 averaged f Medical observation is recommended for 24 to 48 hours after over an 8-hour workshift and 2 mg/m3 as a STEL overexposure, as pulmonary edema may be delayed. (short-term exposure limit).

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

ZINC CHLORIDE Page 2 of 6

Determining Your Exposure Other Effects f Prolonged contact can cause skin burn, and ulcers. f Read the product manufacturer’s Material Safety Data f Repeated exposure to Zinc Chloride can cause scarring of Sheet (MSDS) and the label to determine product the lungs ingredients and important safety and health information about the product mixture. f For each individual hazardous ingredient, read the New Medical Jersey Department of Health Hazardous Substance Fact Medical Testing Sheet, available on the RTK website For frequent or potentially high exposure (half the PEL or (www.nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb) or in your facility’s RTK greater), the following are recommended before beginning Central File or Hazard Communication Standard file. work and at regular times after that:

f You have a right to this information under the New Jersey f Lung function tests Worker and Community Right to Know Act and the Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Act If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the if you are a public worker in New Jersey, and under the following is recommended: federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) if you are a private worker. f Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure

f The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and employers to label chemicals in the workplace and present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for requires public employers to provide their employees with damage already done are not a substitute for controlling information concerning chemical hazards and controls. exposure. The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right CFR 1910.1200) and the PEOSH Hazard Communication to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee Standard (N.J.A.C. 12:100-7) require employers to provide Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020). similar information and training to their employees. Mixed Exposures This Fact Sheet is a summary of available information f Smoking can cause heart disease, lung cancer, regarding the health hazards that may result from exposure. emphysema, and other respiratory problems. It may worsen Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Even if factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will reduce effects described below. your risk of developing health problems.

Health Hazard Information

Acute Health Effects

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

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

possible eye damage. f Exposure to Zinc Chloride can irritate the nose and throat. f Inhaling Zinc Chloride can irritate the lungs. Higher

exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs

(pulmonary edema), a medical emergency. f Zinc Chloride can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and

abdominal pain.

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

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

Reproductive Hazard f Zinc Chloride may damage the developing fetus.

ZINC CHLORIDE Page 3 of 6

Workplace Controls and Practices Eye Protection Very toxic chemicals, or those that are reproductive hazards or f Wear eye protection with side shields or goggles. sensitizers, require expert advice on control measures if a less f Wear a face shield along with goggles when working with toxic chemical cannot be substituted. Control measures corrosive, highly irritating or toxic substances. include: (1) enclosing chemical processes for severely irritating and corrosive chemicals, (2) using local exhaust Respiratory Protection ventilation for chemicals that may be harmful with a single Improper use of respirators is dangerous. Respirators exposure, and (3) using general ventilation to control should only be used if the employer has implemented a written exposures to skin and eye irritants. For further information on program that takes into account workplace conditions, workplace controls, consult the NIOSH document on Control requirements for worker training, respirator fit testing, and Banding at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/. medical exams, as described in the OSHA Respiratory The following work practices are also recommended: Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134).

3 f Label process containers. f Where the potential exists for exposure over 1 mg/m , use a f Provide employees with hazard information and training. NIOSH approved negative pressure, air-purifying, particulate f Monitor airborne chemical concentrations. filter respirator with an N, R or P95 filter. More protection is f Use engineering controls if concentrations exceed provided by a full facepiece respirator than by a half-mask recommended exposure levels. respirator, and even greater protection is provided by a f Provide eye wash fountains and emergency showers. powered-air purifying respirator. f Wash or shower if skin comes in contact with a hazardous f Leave the area immediately if (1) while wearing a filter or material. cartridge respirator you can smell, taste, or otherwise detect f Always wash at the end of the workshift. Zinc Chloride, (2) while wearing particulate filters abnormal f Change into clean clothing if clothing becomes resistance to breathing is experienced, or (3) eye irritation contaminated. occurs while wearing a full facepiece respirator. Check to f Do not take contaminated clothing home. make sure the respirator-to-face seal is still good. If it is, f Get special training to wash contaminated clothing. replace the filter or cartridge. If the seal is no longer good, f Do not eat, smoke, or drink in areas where chemicals are you may need a new respirator. being handled, processed or stored. f Consider all potential sources of exposure in your workplace. f Wash hands carefully before eating, smoking, drinking, You may need a combination of filters, prefilters or cartridges applying cosmetics or using the toilet. to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of chemicals. 3 In addition, the following may be useful or required: f Where the potential exists for exposure over 10 mg/m , use a NIOSH approved supplied-air respirator with a full f Use a vacuum or a wet method to reduce dust during clean- facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other positive- up. DO NOT DRY SWEEP. pressure mode. For increased protection use in combination with an auxiliary self-contained breathing apparatus or an

emergency escape air cylinder. f Exposure to 50 mg/m3 is immediately dangerous to life and Personal Protective Equipment health. If the possibility of exposure above 50 mg/m3 exists, use a NIOSH approved self-contained breathing apparatus The OSHA Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR with a full facepiece operated in a pressure-demand or other 1910.132) requires employers to determine the appropriate positive-pressure mode equipped with an emergency escape personal protective equipment for each hazard and to train air cylinder. employees on how and when to use protective equipment.

The following recommendations are only guidelines and may Fire Hazards not apply to every situation. If employees are expected to fight fires, they must be trained and equipped as stated in the OSHA Fire Brigades Standard Gloves and Clothing (29 CFR 1910.156). f Avoid skin contact with Zinc Chloride. Wear personal protective equipment made from material which can not be f Extinguish fire using an agent suitable for type of permeated or degraded by this substance. Safety surrounding fire. Zinc Chloride itself does not burn. equipment suppliers and manufacturers can provide f POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, including recommendations on the most protective glove and clothing Hydrogen Chloride and Zinc Oxide fumes. material for your operation. f Safety equipment manufacturers recommend Butyl for gloves and Tyvek®, or the equivalent, as a protective material for clothing. f All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) should be clean, available each day, and put on before work.

ZINC CHLORIDE 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 Zinc Chloride 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 Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe

manner and place into sealed containers for disposal. f Ventilate and wash area after clean-up is complete. New Jersey Department of Health f DO NOT wash into sewer. Right to Know f It may be necessary to contain and dispose of Zinc PO Box 368 Chloride as a HAZARDOUS WASTE. Contact your state Trenton, NJ 08625-0368 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or your Phone: 609-984-2202 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 Zinc Chloride you should be trained on are not intended to be copied and sold its proper handling and storage. for commercial purposes.

f Zinc Chloride may react violently or explosively with POTASSIUM. f Zinc Chloride is not compatible with CYANIDES; SULFIDES; OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and FLUORINE); and STRONG BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE). f Zinc Chloride is corrosive to METALS. f Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated area.

ZINC CHLORIDE 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: ZINC CHLORIDE Synonyms: Butter of Zinc; Tinning Flux; Zinc Dichloride CAS No: 7646-85-7 Molecular Formula: ZnCl2 RTK Substance No: 2030 Description: Odorless, white, crystalline granule or powder

HAZARD DATA Hazard Rating Firefighting Reactivity 3 - Health Extinguish fire using an agent suitable for type of Zinc Chloride may react violently or explosively with surrounding fire. Zinc Chloride itself does not POTASSIUM. 0 - Fire burn. Zinc Chloride is not compatible with CYANIDES; 0 - Reactivity POISONOUS GASES ARE PRODUCED IN FIRE, SULFIDES; OXIDIZING AGENTS (such as including Hydrogen Chloride and Zinc Oxide PERCHLORATES, PEROXIDES, PERMANGANATES, DOT#: UN 2331 fumes. CHLORATES, NITRATES, CHLORINE, BROMINE and ERG Guide #: 154 FLUORINE) and STRONG BASES (such as SODIUM HYDROXIDE and POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE). Hazard Class: 8 Zinc Chloride is corrosive to METALS. (Corrosive)

SPILL/LEAKS PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Isolation Distance: Odor Threshold: Odorless Spill: 25 meters (75 feet) Flash Point: Noncombustible Fire: 800 meters (1/2 mile) Vapor Density: 4.7 (air = 1) Vapor Pressure: 0 mm Hg at 68oF (20oC) Collect powdered material in the most convenient and safe manner and place into sealed containers for Specific Gravity: 2.9 (water = 1) disposal. Water Solubility: Soluble DO NOT wash into sewer. Boiling Point: 1,349.6oF (732oC) Zinc Chloride is a severe marine pollutant that may o o cause long term adverse effects to the aquatic Melting Point: 554 F (290 C) environment. Molecular Weight: 136.3

EXPOSURE LIMITS PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT 3 OSHA: 1 mg/m , 8-hr TWA Gloves: Butyl NIOSH: 1 mg/m3, 10-hr TWA; 2 mg/m3, STEL Coveralls: Tyvek® ACGIH: 1 mg/m3, 8-hr TWA; 2 mg/m3, STEL 3 IDLH: 50 mg/m3 Respirator: >1 mg/m - full facepiece APR with High efficiency filters >10 mg/m3 - Supplied Air or SCBA (All the above are for Zinc Chloride fume) >50 mg/m3 - SCBA The Protective Action Criteria values are: 3 3 3 PAC-1 = 2 mg/m PAC-2 = 50 mg/m PAC-3 = 50 mg/m

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

Skin: 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 large amounts of water. Seek medical attention immediately. coughing and severe shortness of breath Begin artificial respiration if breathing has stopped and CPR if necessary. (pulmonary edema) Transfer promptly to a medical facility. Medical observation is recommended as symptoms may be delayed. January 2010