Download Health Hazards and Exposure to Copper Chloride: Identification, Prevention, and Response and more Exams Metallurgy in PDF only on Docsity!
Common Name: COPPER CHLORIDE
CAS Number: 7447-39- DOT Number: UN 2802 DOT Hazard Class: 8 (Corrosive)
HAZARD SUMMARY
- Copper Chloride can affect you when breathed in.
- Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.
- Repeated exposure can cause thickening of the skin.
- Breathing Copper Chloride can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing and wheezing.
- Copper Chloride can irritate the stomach causing salivation, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea.
- Repeated exposure can cause shrinking of the inner lining of the nose and may cause ulcers and a hole in the “bone” dividing the inner nose.
- Copper Chloride may damage the liver and kidneys.
- Copper Chloride is a DOT CORROSIVE CHEMICAL.
IDENTIFICATION
Copper Chloride is a brownish-yellow powder. It is used in petroleum, textiles, metallurgy, photography, agricultural products, and as a feed additive and wood preservative. It is also used in light sensitive paper manufacturing, pigments for glass and ceramics, and Acrylonitrile manufacturing.
REASON FOR CITATION
- Copper Chloride is on the Hazardous Substance List because it is cited by DOT, DEP and EPA.
- This chemical is on the Special Health Hazard Substance List because it is CORROSIVE.
- Definitions are provided on page 5.
HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING
EXPOSED
The New Jersey Right to Know Act requires most employers to label chemicals in the workplace and requires public employers to provide their employees with information and training concerning chemical hazards and controls. The federal OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires private employers to provide similar training and information to their employees.
RTK Substance number: 0532 Date: February 1999 Revision: February 2007
- Exposure to hazardous substances should be routinely evaluated. This may include collecting personal and area air samples. You can obtain copies of sampling results from your employer. You have a legal right to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020).
- If you think you are experiencing any work-related health problems, see a doctor trained to recognize occupational diseases. Take this Fact Sheet with you.
WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS
OSHA: The legal airborne permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 1 mg / m^3 for Copper dusts and mists and 0.1 mg / m^3 for Copper fumes, averaged over an 8-hour workshift.
NIOSH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 1 mg / m^3 for Copper dusts and mists and 0.1 mg / m^3 for Copper fumes , averaged over a 10-hour workshift.
ACGIH: The recommended airborne exposure limit is 1 mg / m^3 for Copper dusts and mists and 0.2 mg / m^3 for Copper fumes, averaged over an 8-hour workshift.
WAYS OF REDUCING EXPOSURE
- Where possible, enclose operations and use local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. If local exhaust ventilation or enclosure is not used, respirators should be worn.
- Wear protective work clothing.
- Wash thoroughly immediately after exposure to Copper Chloride and at the end of the workshift.
- Post hazard and warning information in the work area. In addition, as part of an ongoing education and training effort, communicate all information on the health and safety hazards of Copper Chloride to potentially exposed workers.
This Fact Sheet is a summary source of information of all potential and most severe health hazards that may result from exposure. Duration of exposure, concentration of the substance and other factors will affect your susceptibility to any of the potential effects described below.
HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION
Acute Health Effects
The following acute (short-term) health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to Copper Chloride :
- Contact can severely irritate and burn the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.
- Breathing Copper Chloride can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing and wheezing.
- Copper Chloride can irritate the stomach causing salivation, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea.
Chronic Health Effects
The following chronic (long-term) health effects can occur at some time after exposure to Copper Chloride 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, Copper Chloride has not been tested for its ability to cause cancer in animals.
Reproductive Hazard
- According to the information presently available to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Copper Chloride has not been tested for its ability to affect reproduction.
Other Long-Term Effects
- Repeated exposure can cause thickening of the skin and may cause a greenish color to the skin and hair.
- Repeated exposure can cause shrinking of the inner lining of the nose and may cause ulcers and a hole in the “bone” dividing the inner nose.
- Copper Chloride may damage the liver and kidneys.
MEDICAL
Medical Testing
If symptoms develop or overexposure is suspected, the following are recommended:
- Liver and kidney function tests
- Serum and urine Copper levels
Any evaluation should include a careful history of past and present symptoms with an exam. Medical tests that look for damage already done are not a substitute for controlling exposure.
Request copies of your medical testing. You have a legal right to this information under the OSHA Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020).
Mixed Exposures
- Because more than light alcohol consumption can cause liver damage, drinking alcohol can increase the liver damage caused by Copper Chloride.
Conditions Made Worse By Exposure
- “Wilson’s Disease” is a rare hereditary condition which interferes with the body’s ability to get rid of Copper. If you have this illness, consult your doctor about Copper exposure.
WORKPLACE CONTROLS AND PRACTICES
Unless a less toxic chemical can be substituted for a hazardous substance, ENGINEERING CONTROLS are the most effective way of reducing exposure. The best protection is to enclose operations and/or provide local exhaust ventilation at the site of chemical release. Isolating operations can also reduce exposure. Using respirators or protective equipment is less effective than the controls mentioned above, but is sometimes necessary.
In evaluating the controls present in your workplace, consider: (1) how hazardous the substance is, (2) how much of the substance is released into the workplace and (3) whether harmful skin or eye contact could occur. Special controls should be in place for highly toxic chemicals or when significant skin, eye, or breathing exposures are possible.
In addition, the following control is recommended:
- Where possible, automatically transfer Copper Chloride from drums or other storage containers to process containers.
Good WORK PRACTICES can help to reduce hazardous exposures. The following work practices are recommended:
- Workers whose clothing has been contaminated by Copper Chloride should change into clean clothing promptly.
- Do not take contaminated work clothes home. Family members could be exposed.
- Contaminated work clothes should be laundered by individuals who have been informed of the hazards of exposure to Copper Chloride.
- Eye wash fountains should be provided in the immediate work area for emergency use.
Q: When are higher exposures more likely? A: Conditions which increase risk of exposure include dust releasing operations (grinding, mixing, blasting, dumping, etc.), other physical and mechanical processes (heating, pouring, spraying, spills and evaporation from large surface areas such as open containers), and "confined space" exposures (working inside vats, reactors, boilers, small rooms, etc.).
Q: Is the risk of getting sick higher for workers than for community residents? A: Yes. Exposures in the community, except possibly in cases of fires or spills, are usually much lower than those found in the workplace. However, people in the community may be exposed to contaminated water as well as to chemicals in the air over long periods. This may be a problem for children or people who are already ill.
The following information is available from:
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Occupational Health Service PO Box 360 Trenton, NJ 08625- (609) 984- (609) 984-7407 (fax)
Web address: http://www.state.nj.us/health/eoh/odisweb/
Industrial Hygiene Information Industrial hygienists are available to answer your questions regarding the control of chemical exposures using exhaust ventilation, special work practices, good housekeeping, good hygiene practices, and personal protective equipment including respirators. In addition, they can help to interpret the results of industrial hygiene survey data.
Medical Evaluation If you think you are becoming sick because of exposure to chemicals at your workplace, you may call personnel at the Department of Health and Senior Services, Occupational Health Service, who can help you find the information you need.
Public Presentations Presentations and educational programs on occupational health or the Right to Know Act can be organized for labor unions, trade associations and other groups.
Right to Know Information Resources The Right to Know Infoline (609) 984-2202 can answer questions about the identity and potential health effects of chemicals, list of educational materials in occupational health, references used to prepare the Fact Sheets, preparation of the Right to Know Survey, education and training programs, labeling requirements, and general information regarding the Right to Know Act. Violations of the law should be reported to (609) 984-2202.
DEFINITIONS
ACGIH is the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. It recommends upper limits (called TLVs) for exposure to workplace chemicals.
A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer.
The CAS number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service to identify a specific chemical.
CFR is the Code of Federal Regulations, which consists of the regulations of the United States government.
A combustible substance is a solid, liquid or gas that will burn.
A corrosive substance is a gas, liquid or solid that causes irreversible damage to human tissue or containers.
DEP is the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
DOT is the Department of Transportation, the federal agency that regulates the transportation of chemicals.
EPA is the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal agency responsible for regulating environmental hazards.
A fetus is an unborn human or animal.
A flammable substance is a solid, liquid, vapor or gas that will ignite easily and burn rapidly.
The flash point is the temperature at which a liquid or solid gives off vapor that can form a flammable mixture with air.
IARC is the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a scientific group that classifies chemicals according to their cancer-causing potential.
IRIS is the Integrated Risk Information System database of the federal EPA.
A miscible substance is a liquid or gas that will evenly dissolve in another.
mg/m^3 means milligrams of a chemical in a cubic meter of air. It is a measure of concentration (weight/volume).
A mutagen is a substance that causes mutations. A mutation is a change in the genetic material in a body cell. Mutations can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer.
NAERG is the North American Emergency Response Guidebook. It was jointly developed by Transport Canada, the United States Department of Transportation and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico. It is a guide for first responders to quickly identify the specific or generic hazards of material involved in a transportation incident, and to protect themselves and the general public during the initial response phase of the incident.
NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. It classifies substances according to their fire and explosion hazard.
NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It tests equipment, evaluates and approves respirators, conducts studies of workplace hazards, and proposes standards to OSHA.
NTP is the National Toxicology Program which tests chemicals and reviews evidence for cancer.
OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which adopts and enforces health and safety standards.
PEL is the Permissible Exposure Limit which is enforceable by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
PIH is a DOT designation for chemicals which are Poison Inhalation Hazards.
ppm means parts of a substance per million parts of air. It is a measure of concentration by volume in air.
A reactive substance is a solid, liquid or gas that releases energy under certain conditions.
STEL is a Short Term Exposure Limit which is usually a 15- minute exposure that should not be exceeded at any time during a work day.
A teratogen is a substance that causes birth defects by damaging the fetus.
TLV is the Threshold Limit Value, the workplace exposure limit recommended by ACGIH.
The vapor pressure is a measure of how readily a liquid or a solid mixes with air at its surface. A higher vapor pressure indicates a higher concentration of the substance in air and therefore increases the likelihood of breathing it in.
