Ethylmercuric phosphate

If material involved in fire: Extinguish fire using agent suitable for type of surrounding fire. (Material itself does not burn or burns with difficulty). Use water in flooding quantities as fog. Use foam, dry chemical, or carbon dioxide. /Mercury compounds, solid, n.o.s./

Wear appropriate chemical protective gloves, boots, and goggles ... Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus when fighting fires involving this material. /Mercury compounds, solid, n.o.s./

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Storage site should be as close as practical to lab in which carcinogens are to be used, so that only small quantities required for ... expt need to be carried. Carcinogens should be kept in only one section of cupboard, an explosion-proof refrigerator or freezer (depending on chemicophysical properties ...) that bears appropriate label. An inventory ... should be kept, showing quantity of carcinogen & date it was acquired ... Facilities for dispensing ... should be contiguous to storage area. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": A high-efficiency particulate arrestor (HEPA) or charcoal filters can be used to minimize amt of carcinogen in exhausted air ventilated safety cabinets, lab hoods, glove boxes or animal rooms ... Filter housing that is designed so that used filters can be transferred into plastic bag without contaminating maintenance staff is avail commercially. Filters should be placed in plastic bags immediately after removal ... The plastic bag should be sealed immediately ... The sealed bag should be labelled properly ... Waste liquids ... should be placed or collected in proper containers for disposal. The lid should be secured & the bottles properly labelled. Once filled, bottles should be placed in plastic bag, so that outer surface ... is not contaminated ... The plastic bag should also be sealed & labelled. ... Broken glassware ... should be decontaminated by solvent extraction, by chemical destruction, or in specially designed incinerators. /Chemical Carcinogens/

Environmental considerations - land spill: Dig a pit, pond, lagoon, holding area to contain liquid or solid material. /SRP: If time permits, pits, ponds, lagoons, soak holes, or holding areas should be sealed with an impermeable flexible membrane liner./ Cover solids with a plastic sheet to prevent dissolving in rain or fire fighting water. Dike surface flow using soil, sand bags, foamed polyurethane, or foamed concrete. /Mercury compounds, solid, n.o.s./

Environmental considerations - water spill: Use natural barriers or oil spill control booms to limit spill travel. Use natural deep water pockets, excavated lagoons, or sand bag barriers to trap material at bottom. Remove trapped material with suction hoses. /Mercury compounds, solid, n.o.s./

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Carcinogens that are alkylating, arylating or acylating agents per se can be destroyed by reaction with appropriate nucleophiles, such as water, hydroxyl ions, ammonia, thiols & thiosulfate. The reactivity of various alkylating agents varies greatly ... & is also influenced by sol of agent in the reaction medium. To facilitate the complete reaction, it is suggested that the agents be dissolved in ethanol or similar solvents. ... No method should be applied ... until it has been thoroughly tested for its effectiveness & safety on material to be inactivated. For example, in case of destruction of alkylating agents, it is possible to detect residual compounds by reaction with 4(4-nitrobenzyl)-pyridine. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": ... Small quantities of ... some carcinogens can be destroyed using chem reactions ... but no general rules can be given. ... As a general technique ... treatment with sodium dichromate in strong sulfuric acid can be used. The time necessary for destruction ... is seldom known ... but 1-2 days is generally considered sufficient when freshly prepd reagent is used. ... Carcinogens that are easily oxidizable can be destroyed with milder oxidative agents, such as saturated soln of potassium permanganate in acetone, which appears to be a suitable agent for destruction of hydrazines or of compounds containing isolated carbon-carbon double bonds. Concn or 50% aqueous sodium hypochlorite can also be used as an oxidizing agent. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arrestor) filters ... can be disposed of by incineration. For spent charcoal filters, the adsorbed material can be stripped off at high temp & carcinogenic wastes generated by this treatment conducted to & burned in an incinerator. ... LIQUID WASTE: ... Disposal should be carried out by incineration at temp that ... ensure complete combustion. SOLID WASTE: Carcasses of lab animals, cage litter & misc solid wastes ... should be disposed of by incineration at temp high enough to ensure destruction of chem carcinogens or their metabolites. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": ... Incineration may be only feasible method for disposal of contaminated laboratory waste from biological expt. However, not all incinerators are suitable for this purpose. The most efficient type ... is probably the gas-fired type, in which a first-stage combustion with a less than stoichiometric air:fuel ratio is followed by a second stage with excess air. Some ... are designed to accept ... aqueous & organic-solvent solutions, otherwise it is necessary ... to absorb soln onto suitable combustible material, such as sawdust. Alternatively, chem destruction may be used, esp when small quantities ... are to be destroyed in laboratory. /Chemical Carcinogens/

For more Disposal Methods (Complete) data for Ethylmercuric phosphate (6 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Smoking, drinking, eating, storage of food or of food & beverage containers or utensils, & the application of cosmetics should be prohibited in any laboratory. All personnel should remove gloves, if worn, after completion of procedures in which carcinogens have been used. They should ... wash ... hands, preferably using dispensers of liq detergent, & rinse ... thoroughly. Consideration should be given to appropriate methods for cleaning the skin, depending on nature of the contaminant. No standard procedure can be recommended, but the use of organic solvents should be avoided. Safety pipettes should be used for all pipetting. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": In animal laboratory, personnel should remove their outdoor clothes & wear protective suits (preferably disposable, one-piece & close-fitting at ankles & wrists), gloves, hair covering & overshoes. ... Clothing should be changed daily but ... discarded immediately if obvious contamination occurs ... /also,/ workers should shower immediately. In chemical laboratory, gloves & gowns should always be worn ... however, gloves should not be assumed to provide full protection. Carefully fitted masks or respirators may be necessary when working with particulates or gases, & disposable plastic aprons might provide addnl protection. If gowns are of distinctive color, this is a reminder that they should not be worn outside of lab. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": ... Operations connected with synth & purification ... should be carried out under well-ventilated hood. Analytical procedures ... should be carried out with care & vapors evolved during ... procedures should be removed. ... Expert advice should be obtained before existing fume cupboards are used ... & when new fume cupboards are installed. It is desirable that there be means for decreasing the rate of air extraction, so that carcinogenic powders can be handled without ... powder being blown around the hood. Glove boxes should be kept under negative air pressure. Air changes should be adequate, so that concn of vapors of volatile carcinogens will not occur. /Chemical Carcinogens/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": Vertical laminar-flow biological safety cabinets may be used for containment of in vitro procedures ... provided that the exhaust air flow is sufficient to provide an inward air flow at the face opening of the cabinet, & contaminated air plenums that are under positive pressure are leak-tight. Horizontal laminar-flow hoods or safety cabinets, where filtered air is blown across the working area towards the operator, should never be used ... Each cabinet or fume cupboard to be used ... should be tested before work is begun (eg, with fume bomb) & label fixed to it, giving date of test & avg air-flow measured. This test should be repeated periodically & after any structural changes. /Chemical Carcinogens/

For more Preventive Measures (Complete) data for Ethylmercuric phosphate (11 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

0.01 [mg/m3], as Hg

0.03 [mg/m3], as Hg

8 hr Time Weighted Avg (TWA): 0.01 mg/cu m; 15 min Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) 0.03 mg/cu m. Skin. /Mercury, alkyl compounds, as Hg/

PRECAUTIONS FOR "CARCINOGENS": ... Dispensers of liq detergent /should be available./ ... Safety pipettes should be used for all pipetting. ... In animal laboratory, personnel should ... wear protective suits (preferably disposable, one-piece & close-fitting at ankles & wrists), gloves, hair covering & overshoes. ... In chemical laboratory, gloves & gowns should always be worn ... however, gloves should not be assumed to provide full protection. Carefully fitted masks or respirators may be necessary when working with particulates or gases, & disposable plastic aprons might provide addnl protection. ... Gowns ... /should be/ of distinctive color, this is a reminder that they are not to be worn outside the laboratory. /Chemical Carcinogens/

2.0 [mg/m3], as Hg

2 mg/cu m (as Hg) /Mercury (organo) alkyl compounds (as Hg)/

Mercury mainly affects the nervous system. Exposure to high levels of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus. Effects on brain functioning may result in irritability, shyness, tremors, changes in vision or hearing, and memory problems. Acrodynia, a type of mercury poisoning in children, is characterized by pain and pink discoloration of the hands and feet. Mercury poisoning can also cause Hunter-Russell syndrome and Minamata disease. (L7)

LC50; Species: Ictalurus punctatus (Channel catfish, weight 0.8 g); Conditions: freshwater, static, 22 °C, pH 7.4, hardness 44 mg/L CaCO3; Concentration: 100 ug/L for 24 hr /0.7% liquid Lignasan/

LC50; Species: Ictalurus punctatus (Channel catfish, weight 0.8 g); Conditions: freshwater, static, 22 °C, pH 7.4, hardness 44 mg/L CaCO3; Concentration: 320 ug/L for 24 hr /98.1% purity Lignasan, technical material/

LC50; Species: Ictalurus punctatus (Channel catfish, weight 0.8 g); Conditions: freshwater, static, 22 °C, pH 7.4, hardness 44 mg/L CaCO3; Concentration: 19 ug/L for 96 hr (95% confidence interval: 13-28 ug/L) /0.7% liquid Lignasan/

LC50; Species: Ictalurus punctatus (Channel catfish, weight 0.8 g); Conditions: freshwater, static, 22 °C, pH 7.4, hardness 44 mg/L CaCO3; Concentration: 22 ug/L for 96 hr (95% confidence interval: 14.4-33.6 ug/L) /98.1% purity Lignasan technical material/

For more Ecotoxicity Values (Complete) data for Ethylmercuric phosphate (13 total), please visit the HSDB record page.

High-affinity binding of the divalent mercuric ion to thiol or sulfhydryl groups of proteins is believed to be the major mechanism for the activity of mercury. Through alterations in intracellular thiol status, mercury can promote oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and changes in heme metabolism. Mercury is known to bind to microsomal and mitochondrial enzymes, resulting in cell injury and death. For example, mercury is known to inhibit aquaporins, halting water flow across the cell membrane. It also inhibits the protein LCK, which causes decreased T-cell signalling and immune system depression. Mercury is also believed to inhibit neuronal excitability by acting on the postsynaptic neuronal membrane. It also affects the nervous system by inhibiting protein kinase C and alkaline phosphatase, which impairs brain microvascular formation and function, as well as alters the blood-brain barrier. Organic mercury exerts developmental effects by binding to tubulin, preventing microtubule assembly and causing mitotic inhibition. Mercury also produces an autoimmune response, likely by modification of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules, self peptides, T-cell receptors, or cell-surface adhesion molecules. (L7, A8, A25, A26)

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ The most consistent and pronounced effects of /chronic/ exposure to ... short-chain alkylmercury compounds such as methylmercury are on CNS. Effects ... are neurological and psychiatric. Common symptoms include depression, irritability, exaggerated response to stimulation (erethism), excessive shyness, insomnia, emotional instability, forgetfulness, confusion, and vasomotor disturbances such as excessive perspiration and uncontrolled blushing. Tremors are also common ... Sensory effects ... occur more consistently and at lower levels of exposure. Earliest sign is paresthesia. At ... higher levels of exposure other effects occur, such as ataxia, constriction of visual field, dysarthria, and hearing defects. These alterations are irreversible when poisoning is severe. Neuropsychiatric effects ... are likely to involve spontaneous fits of laughing and crying and intellectual deterioration.

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Acute Exposure/ Six alkyl- and arylmercuric pesticides ( Similton, Jumiron, Soilsin, Hexamercury, Calmet, and Ruberon ) showed marked toxicity to mice (strain and sex unknown) following oral or subcutaneous administration. With the exception of Ruberon, the toxicity of alkylmercuric pesticides was generally greater than that of allylmercuric samples. Various structure-activity relationships were established. Neuropsychiatric manifestations after administration of these organomercuric compounds are described. Studies on 5 of the pesticides revealed greater toxicity following oral administration than after subcutaneous administration ... /Mercuric pesticides/

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Acute Exposure/ White mice (strain and sex unknown) were exposed to ethylmercuric-phosphate or ethylmercuric-chloride vapor in concentrations equivalent to 0.01 to 0.04 and 0.03 to 0.04 mg/L of mercury. Mice were exposed to 0.03 to 0.04 mg/L metallic mercury for comparison purposes. In a chronic study, mice were exposed to 0.03 mg/L metallic mercury, 0.00075 mg/L ethylmercuric-phosphate, or 0.00080 mg/L ethylmercuric-chloride for 6 hours daily. The animals were observed for clinical signs of toxicity and mortality. Acute exposure to the organic mercury compounds caused symptoms indicative of serious respiratory and nervous system disruption: labored respiration, cyanosis of the nose, tail and ears, and hind limb paralysis. All animals died 6 to 15 hours after exposure. Mice exposed to the same concentrations of metallic mercury did not die and showed a clinical picture consisting of marked general depression and slow superficial breathing. In the chronic study, the central nervous system was the main site of involvement. Mice exposed to the organic mercury compounds showed a hind limb paralysis that gradually spread to the front limbs. Death occurred by day 38. Chronic exposure to metallic mercury manifested only changes characteristic of mercurialism. Death occurred on day 58 of exposure. The author concludes that vapors of organic mercury compounds are more toxic than metallic mercury.

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Subchronic or Prechronic Exposure/ Ethylmercuric phosphate (EMP, 0.05 mg/kg) ... /was/ given orally every other day for 5 mo to adult male rabbits (strain not specified). Controls were given saline solution or corn oil. The animals were then sacrificed and the hepatic microsomes suspended in Krebs-Ringer buffer with NADPH and (14)C-labeled and unlabeled testosterone. The mixture was incubated at 37 °C for 30 min. The cytochrome P-450 content was reduced to about 80% of control values in the ... EMP-treated rabbits ... The amount of unmetabolized testosterone was higher and the formation of hydroxytestosterones per mg protein or per mg cytochrome P-450 was lower in the preparations from the pesticide-treated animals than in those from the controls. The decrease in hydroxylase activity was due to other factors in addition to the decrease in cytochrome P-450.

If this chemical gets into the eyes, irrigate immediately. If this chemical contacts the skin, wash with soap immediately. If a person breathes in large amounts of this chemical, move the exopsed person to fresh air at once and perform artificial respiration. When this chemical has been swallowed, get medical attention. Give large quantities of water. Do not make an unconscious person vomit. /Methyl mercury compounds/

/SRP:/ Immediate first aid: Ensure that adequate decontamination has been carried out. If patient is not breathing, start artificial respiration, preferably with a demand-valve resuscitator, bag-valve-mask device, or pocket mask, as trained. Perform CPR as necessary. Immediately flush contaminated eyes with gently flowing water. Do not induce vomiting. If vomiting occurs, lean patient forward or place on left side (head-down position, if possible) to maintain an open airway and prevent aspiration. Keep patient quiet and maintain normal body temperature. Obtain medical attention. /Mercury and related compounds/

/SRP:/ Basic treatment: Establish a patent airway (oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway, if needed). Suction if necessary. Watch for signs of respiratory insufficiency and assist ventilations if necessary. Administer oxygen by nonrebreather mask at 10 to 15 L/min. Monitor for pulmonary edema and treat if necessary ... . Monitor for shock and treat if necessary ... . Anticipate seizures and treat if necessary ... . For eye contamination, flush eyes immediately with available water. Irrigate each eye continuously with 0.9% saline (NS) during transport ... . Do not use emetics. For ingestion, rinse mouth and administer 5 ml/kg up to 200 ml of water for dilution if the patient can swallow, has a strong gag reflex, and does not drool. Administer activated charcoal ... . /Mercury and related compounds/

/SRP:/ Advanced treatment: Consider orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation for airway control in the patient who is unconscious, has severe pulmonary edema, or is in severe respiratory distress. Positive-pressure ventilation techniques with a bag valve mask device may be beneficial. Consider drug therapy for pulmonary edema ... . Monitor cardiac rhythm and treat arrhythmias if necessary ... . Start IV administration of D5W /SRP: "To keep open", minimal flow rate/. Use 0.9% saline (NS) or lactated Ringer's (LR) if signs of hypovolemia are present. For hypotension with signs of hypovolemia, administer fluid cautiously. Consider vasopressors if patient is hypotensive with a normal fluid volume. Watch for signs of fluid overload ... . Treat seizures with diazepam or lorazepam ... . Use proparacaine hydrochloride to assist eye irrigation ... . /Mercury and related compounds/

LD50 Rat oral 48 mg/kg

LD50 Mouse oral 48 mg/kg

LD50 Mouse sc 76 mg/kg

D009; A solid waste containing mercury may or may not become characterized as a hazardous waste when subjected to the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure listed in 40 CFR 261.24, and if so characterized, must be managed as a hazardous waste. /Mercury/