Common Name: ETHYLENEDIAMINE CAS Number: 107-15-3 RTK Substance number: 0875 DOT Number: UN 1604 Date: March 1995 Revision: May 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- HAZARD SUMMARY * Ethylenediamine can affect you when breathed in and by * Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely passing through your skin. evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area * Ethylenediamine is a CORROSIVE CHEMICAL and air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes from your employer. You have a legal right to this with possible eye damage. information under OSHA 1910.1020. * Breathing Ethylenediamine can irritate the nose and * If you think you are experiencing any work-related health throat. problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational * Breathing Ethylenediamine can irritate the lungs causing diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you. coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit breath. (PEL) is 10 ppm averaged over an 8-hour * Ethylenediamine may cause a skin allergy. If allergy workshift. develops, very low future exposure can cause itching and a skin rash. NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is * Exposure can cause an asthma-like allergy. 10 ppm averaged over a 10-hour workshift. * Ethylenediamine may damage the liver and kidneys. ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is IDENTIFICATION 10 ppm averaged over an 8-hour workshift. Ethylenediamine is a colorless liquid with an Ammonia-like odor. It is used as a solvent and in the production of dyes, * The above exposure limits are for air levels only. When waxes, pesticides, and antifreeze solutions. skin contact also occurs, you may be overexposed, even though air levels are less than the limits listed above. REASON FOR CITATION * Ethylenediamine is on the Hazardous Substance List WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE because it is regulated by OSHA and cited by ACGIH, * Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust DOT, NIOSH, HHAG, NFPA and EPA. ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust * This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be List because it is CORROSIVE. worn. * Definitions are provided on page 5. * Wear protective work clothing. * Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING Ethylenediamine and at the end of the workshift. EXPOSED * Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In addition, as part of an ongoing education and training The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public effort, communicate all information on the health and employers to provide their employees with information and safety hazards of Ethylenediamine to potentially exposed training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The workers. federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 1910.1200, requires private employers to provide similar training and information to their employees. ETHYLENEDIAMINE page 2 of 6 This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the potential and most severe health hazards that may result from following are recommended: exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the * Consider chest x-ray after acute overexposure. potential effects described below. * Evaluation by a qualified allergist, including careful ------------------------------------------------------------------------- exposure history and special testing, may help diagnose skin allergy. HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION * Liver and kidney function tests. Acute Health Effects Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for immediately or shortly after exposure to Ethylenediamine: damage already done are not a substitute for controlling exposure. * Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage. Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right * Breathing Ethylenediamine can irritate the nose and throat. to this information under OSHA 1910.1020. * Breathing Ethylenediamine can irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures can Mixed Exposures cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a * Because smoking can cause heart disease, as well as lung medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. cancer, emphysema, and other respiratory problems, it may worsen respiratory conditions caused by chemical exposure. Chronic Health Effects Even if you have smoked for a long time, stopping now will The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at reduce your risk of developing health problems. some time after exposure to Ethylenediamine and can last for * Because more than light alcohol consumption can cause months or years: liver damage, drinking alcohol may increase the liver damage caused by Ethylenediamine. Cancer Hazard * There is no evidence that Ethylenediamine causes cancer WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES in animals. This is based on test results presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous Services from published studies. substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to Reproductive Hazard enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at * There is no evidence that Ethylenediamine affects the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also reproduction. This is based on test results presently reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is available to the New Jersey Department of Health and less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is Senior Services from published studies. sometimes necessary. Other Long-Term Effects In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: * Ethylenediamine may cause a skin allergy. If allergy (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the develops, very low future exposure can cause itching and a substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether skin rash. harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls * Ethylenediamine may cause an asthma-like allergy. Future should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when exposure can cause asthma attacks with shortness of breath, significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible. wheezing, cough, and/or chest tightness. * Ethylenediamine may damage the liver and kidneys. In addition, the following control is recommended: MEDICAL * Where possible, automatically pump liquid Ethylenediamine from drums or other storage containers to process containers. Medical Testing For those with frequent or potentially high exposure (half the Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous TLV or greater), the following are recommended before exposures. The following work practices are recommended: beginning work and at regular times after that: * Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by * Lung function tests. These may be normal if the person is Ethylenediamine should change into clean clothing not having an attack at the time of the test. promptly. ETHYLENEDIAMINE page 3 of 6 * Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by * Where the potential exists for exposure over 10 ppm, use a individuals who have been informed of the hazards of MSHA/NIOSH approved full facepiece respirator with a exposure to Ethylenediamine. cartridge specific for Ethylenediamine. Increased * Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate protection is obtained from full facepiece powered-air work area for emergency use. purifying respirators. * If there is the possibility of skin exposure, emergency * If while wearing a filter or cartridge respirator you can shower facilities should be provided. smell, taste, or otherwise detect Ethylenediamine, or if * On skin contact with Ethylenediamine, immediately wash while wearing particulate filters abnormal resistance to or shower to remove the chemical. At the end of the breathing is experienced, or eye irritation occurs while workshift, wash any areas of the body that may have wearing a full facepiece respirator, leave the area contacted Ethylenediamine, whether or not known skin immediately. Check to make sure the respirator-to-face seal contact has occurred. is still good. If it is, replace the filter or cartridge. If the * Do not eat, smoke, or drink where Ethylenediamine is seal is no longer good, you may need a new respirator. handled, processed, or stored, since the chemical can be * Be sure to consider all potential exposures in your swallowed. Wash hands carefully before eating, drinking, workplace. You may need a combination of filters, smoking, or using the toilet. prefilters or cartridges to protect against different forms of a chemical (such as vapor and mist) or against a mixture of PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT chemicals. * Where the potential for high exposure exists, use a WORKPLACE CONTROLS