Chemical Hygiene Plan - Queensborough Community College ...

• The health hazard from exposure to these compounds may be due to their
anesthetic actions; damaging effects on liver and kidney; and in case of certain
compounds, carcinogenicity.
• The toxic symptoms are drowsiness, lack of coordination, anesthesia, hepatitis,
and necrosis of the liver.
• Vapors may cause irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract.
• Death may result from cardiac arrest due to prolonged exposure to high
concentrations.
• Ingestion can produce nausea, vomiting, and liver injury.
• Fluorocarbons are less toxic than the chloro-, bromo-, and iodo- compounds, the
toxicity increases with increase in the mass number of the halogen atoms.
• Some of the halogenated hydrocarbons cause cancer in humans.
Examples: Benzyl chloride
Carbon tetrachloride
Chloroform
1,2-Dichlorobenzene
Ethyl bromide
Fluorobenzene
Methylene chloride
HYDRIDES
• The single most hazardous property of hydrides is their high reactivity toward
water.
• The reaction with water is violent and can be explosive with liberation of
hydrogen.
• Many hydrides are flammable solids that may ignite spontaneously on exposure to
moist air.
• Many ionic hydrides are strongly basic; their reactions with acids are violent and
exothermic, which can cause ignition.
• Hydrides are also powerful reducing agents, they react violently with strong
oxidizing substances, causing explosions.
• Covalent volatile hydrides such as arsine, silane, or germane are highly toxic.
• Ionic alkali metal hydrides are corrosive to skin, as they form caustic alkalies
readily with moisture.
Examples: Decarborane
Lithium aluminum hydride
Potassium hydride
Sodium borohydride
Sodium hydride
INDUSTRIAL SOLVENTS
• The toxic effects of most of the solvents are of low order, chronic exposures or
large doses can produce moderate to severe poisoning.
• Most organic solvents are flammable or combustible liquids, the vapors of which
can form explosive mixtures with air.
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