Ethanthiol

Excerpt from ERG Guide 129 [Flammable Liquids (Water-Miscible / Noxious)]:

Use powder, foam, carbon dioxide. In case of fire: keep drums, etc., cool by spraying with water.

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

Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower. Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower.

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

Rinse mouth. Rinse mouth. Give one or two glasses of water to drink. Do NOT induce vomiting. 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.

· ELIMINATE all ignition sources (no smoking, flares, sparks or flames) from immediate area.

Excerpt from NIOSH Pocket Guide for Ethyl mercaptan:

General First Aid:

(General first aid procedures)

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

0.5 [ppm]

If material /is/ on fire or involved in /a/ fire: Do not extinguish fire unless flow can be stopped. Use water in flooding quantities as fog. Solid streams of water may spread fire. Cool all affected containers with flooding quantities of water. Apply water from as far a distance as possible. Use foam, dry chemical, or carbon dioxide.

Evacuation: If fire becomes uncontrollable or container is exposed to direct flame-consider evacuation of one-third (1/3) mile radius. If material leaking (not on fire) consider evacuation from downwind area based on amount of material spilled, location and weather conditions.

Fireproof. Separated from strong oxidants, strong acids. Cool.

Materials which are toxic as stored or which can decomp into toxic components ... should be stored in cool, well-ventilated place, out of the direct rays of the sun, away from areas of high fire Hazard, and should be periodically inspected. Incompatible materials should be isolated ... .

Keep tightly closed and in a cool place.

Odorous gases, such as methylmercaptans, mainly present a cosmetic problem. Thus a variety of methods and procedures, and also patents, are available with methods to absorb odors in scrubbers, by use of catalytic oxidizers or combined scrubber systems with oxidizing agents such as ozone or peroxides.

Odors can be removed from circulating air with charcoal, by catalytic oxidation, or by destruction with a UV scrubber.

If ethyl mercaptan is spilled or leaked, the following steps should be taken: 1. Remove all ignition sources. 2. Ventilate area of spill or leak. 3. For small quantities of liquids contaning ethyl mercaptan, absorb on paper towels and place in an appropriate container. Place towels in a safe place such as a fume hood for evaporation. Allow sufficient time for evaporation of the vapors so that the the hood ductwork is free from ethyl mercaptan vapors. Burn the paper in a suitable location away from combustible materials. 4. Large quantities of liquids containing ethyl mercaptan may be absorbed in vermiculite, dry sand, earth, or a similar material and placed in an appropriate container. Ethyl mercaptan should not be allowed to enter a confined space such as a sewer because of the possibility of an explosion. 5. Liquids containing ethyl mercaptan may be collected by vacuuming with an appropriate system. If a vacuum system is used, there should be no sources of ignition in the vicinity of the spill, and flashback prevention devices should be provided.

Evacuate danger area! Collect leaking liquid in sealable containers. Do NOT wash away into sewer. Personal protection: self-contained breathing apparatus.

SRP: The most favorable course of action is to use an alternative chemical product with less inherent propensity for occupational exposure 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, aquatic, and plant life; and conformance with environmental and public health regulations.

Ethyl mercaptan is a waste chemical stream constituent which may be subjected to ultimate disposal by controlled incineration (2,000 °F) followed by scrubbing with a caustic solution.

Incineration ... : Incinerate scrap material under controlled conditions using afterburner and a scrubber to neutralize sulfur dioxide ... .

EC50 Daphnia magna (Waterflea, <24 hr old) 90-280 mg/L/48 hr; static, 20 °C, hardness: 250 mg/L CaCO3, dissolved oxygen: >6.5 mg/L, pH 8.2

LC50 Daphnia magna (Water flea) 170 ug/L/48 hr; static /formulated product/

TERRESTRIAL FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 22(SRC), determined from a water solubility of 1.56X10+4 mg/L(2) and a regression-derived equation(3), indicates that ethyl mercaptan is expected to have very high mobility in soil(SRC). Volatilization of ethyl mercaptan from moist soil surfaces is expected to be an important fate process(SRC) given a Henry's Law constant of 4.53X10-3 atm-cu m/mole(4). Ethyl mercaptan is expected to volatilize from dry soil surfaces(SRC) based upon a vapor pressure of 529 mm Hg(5). Biodegradation data were not available(SRC, 2005).

AQUATIC FATE: Based on a classification scheme(1), an estimated Koc value of 22(SRC), determined from a water solubility of 1.56X10+4 mg/L(2) and a regression-derived equation(3), indicates that ethyl mercaptan is not expected to adsorb to suspended solids and sediment(SRC). Volatilization from water surfaces is expected(3) based upon a Henry's Law constant of 4.53X10-3 atm-cu m/mole(4). Using this Henry's Law constant and an estimation method(3), volatilization half-lives for a model river and model lake are 2.4 hours and 3.2 days, respectively(SRC). According to a classification scheme(5), an estimated BCF of 2.7(SRC), from its water solubility(2) and a regression-derived equation(3), suggests the potential for bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is low(SRC). Biodegradation data were not available(SRC, 2005).

ATMOSPHERIC FATE: According to a model of gas/particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds in the atmosphere(1), ethyl mercaptan, which has a vapor pressure of 529 mm Hg at 25 °C(2), is expected to exist solely as a vapor in the ambient atmosphere. Vapor-phase ethyl mercaptan is degraded in the atmosphere by reaction with photochemically-produced hydroxyl radicals(SRC); the half-life for this reaction in air is estimated to be 10 hours(SRC), calculated from its rate constant of 4.68X10-11 cu cm/molecule-sec at 25 °C(3). Ethyl mercaptan does not absorb light at wavelengths >290 nm and therefore is not expected to be susceptible to direct photolysis by sunlight.

The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation and by ingestion.

inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact

Dizziness. Headache. Nausea. Vomiting. Tremor. Weakness. Unconsciousness.

Redness.

Redness. Pain.

See Inhalation.

irritation mucous membrane; headache, nausea; In Animals: incoordination, lassitude (weakness, exhaustion); liver, kidney damage; cyanosis; narcosis

Ethyl mercaptan concentrations of 0.25-1.01 mg/L were detected in the effluent of the Barceloneta waste treatment facility in Puerto Rico in Sept 1981(1); the treatment facility receives mostly industrial waste(1). An ethyl mercaptan concentration of 3.8 ppm was detected in the headspace gas of a wastewater effluent from an unidentified oil refinery(2). An ethyl mercaptan concentration of 72.5 ppm was detected in the headspace gas of a wastewater effluent from an unidentified waste treatment plant(2). A concentration of 21,000 ppm volume was reported in a study measuring gaseous trace compounds from an unspecified municipal landfill site(3).

Prior to placing a worker in a job with a potential for exposure to ethyl mercaptan, the physician should evaluate and document the worker's baseline health status with thorough medical, environmental, and occupational histories, a physical examination, and physiologic and laboratory tests appropriate for the anticipated occupational risk. These should concentrate on the function and integrity of the nervous and respiratory systems. Medical surveillance for respiratory disease should be conducted by using the principles and methods recommended by NIOSH and the American Thoracic Society (ATS). A preplacement medical evaluation is recommended in order to detect and assess preexisting or concurrent conditions which may be aggravated or result in increased risk when a worker is exposed to n-butyl mercaptan at or below the NIOSH REL. The examining physician should consider the probable frequency, intensity, and duration of exposure, as well as the nature and degree of the condition, in placing such a worker. Such conditions, which should not be regarded as absolute contraindications to job placement, include chronic diseases of the respiratory system.

The Koc of ethyl mercaptan is estimated as 22(SRC), using a water solubility of 1.56X10+4 mg/L(1) and a regression-derived equation(2). According to a classification scheme(3), this estimated Koc value suggests that ethyl mercaptan is expected to have very high mobility in soil.

Ethyl mercaptan

1

10000

Flammable chemical that can be released at a facility.