Argon

Excerpt from ERG Guide 120 [Gases - Inert (Including Refrigerated Liquids)]:

Excerpt from ERG Guide 120 [Gases - Inert (Including Refrigerated Liquids)]:

In case of fire in the surroundings, use appropriate extinguishing media.

Fresh air, rest. Artificial respiration may be needed. Refer for medical attention.

ON FROSTBITE: rinse with plenty of water, do NOT remove clothes. Refer for medical attention .

First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible), then refer for medical attention.

· CALL 911. Then call emergency response telephone number on shipping paper. If shipping paper not available or no answer, refer to appropriate telephone number listed on the inside back cover.

· Do not touch or walk through spilled material.

· CALL 911. Then call emergency response telephone number on shipping paper. If shipping paper not available or no answer, refer to appropriate telephone number listed on the inside back cover.

· Do not touch or walk through spilled material.

Excerpt from ERG Guide 120 [Gases - Inert (Including Refrigerated Liquids)]:

Excerpt from ERG Guide 120 [Gases - Inert (Including Refrigerated Liquids)]:

General First Aid:

General First Aid:

· Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

· Wear positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

If material involved in fire: Extinguish fire using agent suitable for type of surrounding fire. Material itself does not burn or burns with difficulty. Cool all affected containers with flooding quantities of water. Apply water from as far a distance as possible. /Argon, compressed; Argon, refrigerated liquid/

If material involved in fire: Do not use water on material itself. /Argon, refrigerated liquid/

Suitable extinguishing media: Use water spray, alcohol-resistant foam, dry chemical or carbon dioxide. Special protective equipment for fire-fighters: Wear self contained breathing apparatus for fire fighting if necessary.

Excerpt from ERG Guide 120 [Gases - Inert (Including Refrigerated Liquids)]:

Excerpt from ERG Guide 120 [Gases - Inert (Including Refrigerated Liquids)]:

SRP: The most favorable course of action is to use an alternative chemical product with less inherent propensity for occupational harm/injury/toxicity or environmental contamination. Recycle any unused portion of the material for its approved use or return it to the manufacturer or supplier. Ultimate disposal of the chemical must consider: the material's impact on air quality; potential migration in soil or water; effects on animal and plant life; and conformance with environmental and public health regulations.

Dizziness. Lethargy. Headache. Suffocation.

ON CONTACT WITH LIQUID: FROSTBITE.

ON CONTACT WITH LIQUID: FROSTBITE.

Stable naturally occurring isotopes (mass numbers): 36 (0.377%); 38 (0.063%); 40 (99.600%) ... Abundance in igneous rock of the earth's crust: 4X10-2 ppm by weight ... The isotope As(40) is always found in minerals containing potassium, since it is a product of K(40) decay.

In the earth's atmosphere, noble gases make up about 1% ... argon is their major component.

The atmosphere of Mars contains 1.6% of argon-40 and 5 ppm of argon-36.

Concentration in atmosphere: 93.40 ppm by volume

The atmosphere of Mars contains 1.6% of argon-40 and 5 ppm of argon-36.

/SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Contact with the liquid will cause frostbite./Argon, refrigerated liquid/

/CASE REPORTS/ A 31-year-old engineer was found dead in a reaction vessel (diameter 0.8 m, height 1.8 m) of a bulb factory some minutes after he had entered it for repair work. Resuscitation attempts with artificial respiration were unsuccessful. Despite autopsy and usual toxicological analyses, no cause of death could be found. Since in the normal production process, argon was used as a protecting gas, the possibility of suffocation in an argon atmosphere was investigated. This was rendered more difficult because of the natural content of 0.93 vol.% argon in air and since the excessive argon could have been removed by the resuscitation attempts. Gas samples from larynx, esophagus, bronchi, and stomach, separated blood samples from both ventricles of the heart and from the vena iliaca externa as well as tissue samples from lung and liver were collected during autopsy into headspace vials in such a way that the loss of gas and a dilution by surrounding air was avoided as far as possible. The samples were analyzed by headspace GC-MS. The abundance of Ar+ (m/z = 40) was used for quantification with N2(2+) (m/z = 14) as internal standard. The following argon concentrations were measured (mean values, case under investigation/comparison cases): gas from larynx 1.79/0.96 vol.%, stomach gas 1.58/0.89 vol.%, heart blood (left ventricle) 7.2/2.7 microg/mL, heart blood (right ventricle) 5.8/2.7 microg/mL, blood from vena iliaca externa 3.6/2.7 microg/mL. A clearly increased concentration was also found in lung tissue, whereas in liver tissue no significant difference in comparison to other cases was measured. From the results, it follows that the deceased inhaled an increased amount of argon a short time before death. The concentrations are consistent with asphyxia and subsequent resuscitation attempts. ...

/CASE REPORTS/ ... /A/ fatality from argon gas emboli during prostate cryosurgery /is reported/. The decedent underwent cryotherapy for prostate carcinoma using cryoablation probes which were cooled with argon and nitrous oxide and warmed with helium. Minutes into the procedure he experienced sudden cardiovascular collapse and could not be resuscitated. Postmortem examination was performed ... . Collection of tissues and blood samples had to be conducted carefully to capture suspected noble gases, argon, and helium. Specimens were submitted ... for toxicological examination and for evaluation of the composition of the gas retrieved from the vascular system. Gas chromatography mass spectrometric analyses confirmed argon in blood, brain, liver, and gas retrieved from the aorta. These samples had significant argon compared with room air also sent for comparison. The manner of death was accident. ...

/LABORATORY ANIMALS: Acute Exposure/ ... Carbon dioxide, argon, and nitrogen /were compared/ for inducing unconsciousness and euthanasia of Sprague-Dawley rats. We determined time to unconsciousness and monitored heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure by radiotelemetry to assess stress, recovery after exposure, and time of death. Unconsciousness (mean +/- standard error) occurred 24 +/- 3, 87 +/- 8, and 93 +/- 8 seconds after short-term exposure to carbon dioxide, argon, and nitrogen, respectively. During exposure, carbon dioxide depressed heart rate, whereas argon and nitrogen increased heart rate. Upon removal from the chamber, rats' heart rate rapidly normalized after carbon dioxide or nitrogen but remained elevated for 60 min after argon. During exposure, all agents depressed MAP, which returned to resting levels 10 to 50 min after rats removal from the chamber. For euthanasia, carbon dioxide at approximately 100% induced unconsciousness in 37 +/- 3 seconds, increased and then depressed mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate, and caused death at 188 +/- 15 seconds. Carbon dioxide at approximately 30% induced unconsciousness in 150 +/- 15 seconds, decreased heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure, and induced death at 440 +/- 9 seconds. Argon at approximately 100% increased mean arterial blood pressure but decreased heart rate, induced unconsciousness with hyperreflexia at 54 +/- 4 seconds, and caused death at 197 +/- 20 seconds. Nitrogen at approximately 100% decreased mean arterial blood pressure but not heart rate and produced unconsciousness with hyperreflexia at 164 +/- 17 seconds and death at 426 +/- 28 seconds. ... Carbon dioxide effectively produced unconsciousness and euthanasia, but we were unable to ascertain distress. Argon also appears effective but produced hyperreflexia and tachycardia. Nitrogen was ineffective.

GROUNDWATER: Argon concentrations ranged from 13.1 to 17.2 micromoles/L (median 15.5 micromoles/L) in samples of groundwater from Orangeburg County, SC, collected in November 1997(1). Argon was reported at a concentration range of 0.7515 to 1.0923 mg/L in ground water samples taken at Mirror Lake, New Hampshire in 1991 and 1992(2).

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. /Simple asphyxiants and related compounds/

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. Anticipate seizures and treat if necessary ... . Use rapid rewarming techniques if frostbite occurs ... . /Simple asphyxiants and related compounds/

Advanced treatment: Consider orotracheal or nasotracheal intubation for airway control in the patient who is unconscious or is in severe respiratory distress. Monitor cardiac rhythm and treat arrhythmias if necessary ... . Start IV administration of D5W /SRP: "To keep open", minimal flow rate/. Treat seizures with diazepam or lorazepam ... . /Simple asphyxiants and related compounds/